Trip down the Valentine Lane

Valentine's Day facts and figures
The lovers' holiday traces its roots to raucous annual Roman festivals where men stripped naked, grabbed goat- or dog-skin whips, and spanked young maidens in hopes of increasing their fertility.
In the Middle Ages, there was a belief that the first unmarried person of the opposite sex you met on the morning of St. Valentine's Day would become your spouse.
The first Valentine gift was sent by Duke of Orleans to his wife, after he was captured in 1415 and was a prisoner in the Tower of London following the Battle of Agincourt.
Valentine's Day cards – mostly handwritten notes – gained popularity in the U.S. during the Revolutionary War. Mass production started in the early 1900s.
Hallmark began selling cards in 1913. Since then the market for Valentine's Day cards has increased beyond lovers to include parents, children, siblings, and friends.
About 190 million cards are exchanged annually, making Valentine's Day the second-most popular greeting-card giving occasion.
65 percent of households send greeting cards on Valentine's Day.
73 percent of Valentine Day flowers are bought by men, while women buy 23 percent of Valentine flowers.
About 45.8 percent of U.S. consumers will exchange Valentine's Day candy. About 75 percent of is from sales of chocolate
Americans will spend about $14.7 billion in retail sales on Valentine's Day in the United States.
The average U.S. consumer is expected to spend $103 on Valentine's Day gifts, meals, and entertainment, down from $123 per person in 2008.
For details, see "Valentine's Day Facts: Gifts, History, and Love Science" on National Geographic.com