Everything Valentine

Valentine’s Day wasn’t always the celebration of romance, love, chocolate, cards and flowers that we know today. Countries around the world celebrate Valentine’s Day in various ways. Discover interesting traditions and events connected to this special day in Everything Valentine:

• On Valentine’s Day 2010, almost 40,000 people in Mexico City broke the record for the world’s largest group kiss

• Originally, Valentine’s Day celebrated St. Valentine, who was martyred in 3rd-century Rome for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry

• English poet Geoffrey Chaucer first linked the day to romantic love in the late 14th century, and it is now a multi-billion dollar boon to florists, card manufacturers, jewelers, restaurateurs and chocolatiers

• On Valentine’s Day 2000, Pfizer, the producer of Viagra, funded an impotence awareness day in Britain

• In Japan on Valentine’s Day, women to give chocolates to the men in their lives—all the men, including their partners and male co-workers

• Nineteenth-century English card manufacturer Jonathon King named his 14th child Sydney Valentine King—such was the importance of Valentine’s Day to his business

• Alabama state law prohibits the purchase of sex toys on Valentine’s Day

• Valentine’s Day is banned in Saudi Arabia, as is the sale of red roses and all red merchandise in the week leading up to February 14

• Quirkyalone Day is celebrated on February 14 as an alternative to Valentine’s Day

• In eastern England, it was believed that Valentine’s Day was a good time for the preparation of eels for the purposes of magic.