As you know, we adore love and romance. With the ‘most romantic day of the year’ coming up, we thought it would be fun to explore Valentines Day facts. From pink coffin weddings to rose alternative flower tips, we’ve tried to embrace the day. Read on for more!

Historical Valentines Day Details

Painting by Léon Perrault

Cupid (which comes from the word for desire and love, ‘cupido’) has two types of arrows. The golden arrows are tipped with dove feathers and when he shoots he creates true love. The leaden arrows are tipped with owl feathers, and create both sensual passion and indifference. Which would you prefer-?

Famous events that happened on February 14: Aretha Franklin recorded ‘Respect’ in 1967 (do you think that’s just coincidental-?); Youtube was launched in 2005; Jimmy Hoffa and actor Simon Pegg were born; and Dolly the Scottish sheep clone died.

A great combination of two: Aretha’s Respect on Youtube:

One of the original Saint Valentines was from Rome. It’s said he was imprisoned for giving soldiers secret weddings, which was forbidden. The soldiers couldn’t marry because they had to remain ‘virile.’

An ‘X’ as a kiss originally came from promissory notes. Many people couldn’t read or write, so to prove their sincerity, they’d sign an ‘X’ and then kiss it to seal the deal.

Saint Valentine isn’t just for the lovey-dovey. He’s also the go-to fella for: beekeepers; plague sufferers; and travelers.

Valentines Day Modern Tidbits

Photo by Wela49

In the United States, 15 % of women asked admitted to sending themselves flowers on Valentines Day. Is it saving face or celebrating freedom, we wonder?

You might have heard that Juliet of Shakespearean fame receives over 1,000 letters yearly around Valentines Day. However, you probably don’t know that there’s an official club you can join: il Club di Giulietta.

The birthstone of February, the Amethyst, is thought to attract love.

In some Asian countries, women give men chocolates on Valentines Day. They give the ‘good’ chocolate to those they really like and a generic type of chocolate for the other men. March 14, the men are expected to reciprocate- and it’s a rather large insult if they don’t.

Weird Valentines Day Weddings

Photo via Bangkok Post

Considering there are over 220,000 proposals every Valentines, we were curious about uniqueValentine’s Day weddings:

A Thai resort town hosted a wedding between two ‘celebrities’: the bride holds the world record for staying in a cage with scorpions; the husband holds the world record for staying in a cage with centipedes. They dressed as zombies for the ceremony, of course.

In Lima, Peru there was a mass wedding (200 couples) performed in a swimming pool in 2013.

In the outskirts of Bangkok, a Buddhist temple hosted 7 couples’ weddings February 14, 2014. Part of the ceremony involved the couple lying together in a pink coffin to get rid of any bad luck before they wed.

Tips and Very Original Valentines Ideas

Photo by Böhringer Friedrich

Roses are romantically red, because of the traditional belief that the heart and blood connected love. Other rose meanings, if you want to be more thoughtful:

• White roses = marriage and fidelity
• Pink roses = admiration and affection
• Yellow roses = joy and friendship
• Orange roses = fiery passion
• Purple roses = emotional clarity

Other fantastic flowers to shower on your love Valentines Day:

Photo by Ben Aveling

• Lilacs, though apparently you can only give them once in a lifetime- they’re for your first love
• Daisies = eternal love
• Gardenias = secret love or a secret admirer
• Other flowers to replace red roses could be: red Calla Lilies; Cockscomb; red Lion Amaryllis; or red Tulips.

Lastly, a few strange and completely unique Valentines Day gifts we’re still shaking our heads over:

Photo via Polly van der Glas Designs

• Toilet paper with red hearts that reads ‘I love you from top to bottom’

• Sharing a part of yourself literally: a custom-made tooth ring or a hair necklace/bracelet

• A bottle of pink Mace pepper spray

• Shopping for unforgettable sweets? Give chocolate-covered insects a go

• A salami or bacon bouqet, to show you really care

• A zombie teddy bear

That wraps up our Valentines Day facts blog post. What about you? Are there any interesting things to add to our list? What about the strangest Valentines gift you’ve ever received? Let us know in the comments below!

Until later, adieu- Ido Productions