About 1 billion cards are sent for Valentine's Day each year. It is the second-biggest card-exchanging holiday after Christmas, when about 2.6 billion cards are sent annually. Most Valentine's Day cards — about 85% — are bought and sent by women. The first written Valentine's Day card is thought to have been in Great Britain in 1415 from Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife, and the first commercially made Valentine's cards were produced in 1849 in Massachusetts by Esther Howland. By 1900, cards were more popular in the US than handwritten letters, which is attributed to more readily available printing technology and affordable postage.
More about Valentine’s Day:
- During the Middle Ages, February 14 was considered to be the starting date of birds’ mating season, which is thought to have contributed to the holiday being associated with romance.
- The average person spent an estimated $300 US Dollars for Valentine’s Day in 2013.
- The Catholic Church has three saints named Valentine, and it is not known for sure which one the holiday was named after.
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More Info: history.com
Discussion Comments
@Chmander - I think the reason why people spend so much time on Valentine's Day is because it only comes once a year and once a day. Unlike Christmas and Thanksgiving, which you have a lot of time to prepare for, that's not the case here. Sometimes, we realize that there are those little moments in life we should cherish; those moments that can become a missed opportunity. Once the day goes by, you may never get it back, and it's always a good idea to make the best of that moment.
In this day and age, more and more people are getting into Valentine's Day, and I'm not quite sure what to think of it. I'm actually quite surprised that the average person spends so much money on that day. It's funny how we often don't have enough to pay the bills, and yet we have more than enough money to spend on accessories and entertainment.
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