Valentine's Day

Today is Valentine's day... the day dedicated to love!

For single people, it's S.A.D. (Singles Awareness Day).  Isn't that the dumbest thing you ever heard?

When did the Valentine's Day thing start?

The most popular dates theory on the origins of Valentine's day dates back to the time of the Roman Empire during the reign of Claudius II, 270 AD. Claudius believed single men made better soldiers and therefore didn't want men to marry during wartime. Bishop Valentine went against his wishes and performed secret wedding ceremonies.

Valentine was jailed and later executed February 14. While in jail, he wrote a love note to the jailor's daughter signing it, "From your Valentine.

In 1537, England's King Henry VII officially declared February 14th the holiday of St. Valentine's Day.

Here's some Valentine's Day Fun:

• Casanova, well known as "The World's Greatest Lover," ate chocolate to make him virile. 
• More than 35 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate will be sold for Valentine's Day. 
• Over $1 billion worth of chocolate is purchased for Valentine's Day in the U.S. 
• 73% of people who buy flowers for Valentine's Day are men, while only 27 percent are women.
• 15% of U.S. women send themselves flowers on Valentine's Day. (How sad.)
• Red roses are considered the flower of love because the color red stands for strong romantic feelings.
• 189 million stems of roses are sold in the U.S. on Valentine's Day. 
• California produces 60 percent of American roses, but the greater number sold on Valentine's Day in the United States are imported, mostly from South America. 
• Approximately 110 million roses, mostly red, will be sold and delivered within the three-day Valentine's Day time period. 
• Approximately one billion Valentines are sent out worldwide each year according to estimates by the U.S. Greeting Card Association. That's second only to Christmas. 
• Teachers will receive the most Valentine's Day cards, followed by children, mothers, wives, sweethearts and pets.
• About 3% of pet owners will give Valentine's Day gifts to their pets. (How sad.)
• In the US, 64 percent of men do not make plans in advance for a romantic Valentine's Day with their sweethearts.

[Next week: Top 10 Tuesday will become Tuesday Tally... You try coming up with 52 lists of 10 items sometime.]