How Many Days Until Valentine's Day?

Valentines Day is on February 14. It is the one day of the year when flower prices double, restaurant reservations become impossible, and greeting card sales go through the roof. About 145 million Valentines Day cards are exchanged annually, making it the second biggest card holiday after Christmas.

The holiday gets its name from Saint Valentine, a Christian martyr from the 3rd century. The most popular legend says he was a priest who performed secret marriages for soldiers who were forbidden to marry. He was executed on February 14, and centuries later the day became associated with romantic love.

💝 Valentines Day History

💌 When Was the First Valentines Day Card Sent?

The first Valentine was sent in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. By the 1700s, exchanging handwritten notes on February 14 was common in England. Mass-produced cards followed in the 1840s.

📊 Valentines Day by the Numbers

Americans spend roughly $26 billion on Valentines Day each year, about $175 per person. Over 58 million pounds of chocolate are sold in the week leading up to February 14. About 250 million roses are produced for the holiday, most of them red. Jewelers do about 20% of their annual business in the two weeks before Valentines Day.

🌍 How Is Valentines Day Celebrated Around the World?

Not every country celebrates on February 14. In Brazil, Dia dos Namorados falls on June 12. In South Korea, women give gifts on February 14 and men return the favor on March 14 (called White Day). Japan follows a similar tradition. Finland celebrates "Friends Day" instead of romance. In Wales, the traditional day of love is January 25, called Dydd Santes Dwynwen.

💝 The Heart Shape Has Nothing to Do With an Actual Heart

A real human heart looks nothing like the ❤️ symbol. The origin of the heart shape is debated, but theories include: the shape of silphium seeds (an ancient contraceptive plant), the shape of ivy leaves (associated with fidelity in ancient Greece), or a medieval misinterpretation of Aristotles description of the heart as having three chambers with a dent in the middle. Whatever its origin, the symbol has been associated with love since at least the 1200s.