Speaking of Valentine's Day

I can't procrastinate much longer, but here's what I found while I have...

Valentine Day Oddities:
Odd Historical & Cultural Facts

• The Original "Love Letter": The oldest surviving love poem is on a Sumerian clay tablet from around 3500 BC.
• "Wear Your Heart on Your Sleeve": In the Middle Ages, people drew names to pick a Valentine and pinned the name to their sleeve for a week.
• Ban on Love: In 1653, Oliver Cromwell banned Valentine's Day celebrations in England as immoral.
• Insulting Cards: In the Victorian era, "Vinegar Valentines" were popular, which were cards designed to insult or reject unwanted suitors.
• Medieval Love Tests: Girls in the Middle Ages ate strange foods on Valentine’s Day to trigger dreams about their future husbands.
• Not Always Romantic: In Finland, Feb. 14 is called "Friend's Day" and focuses on celebrating friends rather than romance.
• Double Celebration: In South Korea, women give gifts to men on Feb. 14, and men return the favor on March 14 (White Day). 

Weird Traditions & Trends

• Name a Cockroach: Several zoos allow you to name a cockroach after an ex-partner, often feeding them to other animals on Valentine's Day.
• Statehood Day: Both Oregon and Arizona became states on February 14th.
• The "X" in XOXO: In medieval times, people who couldn't write signed documents with an 'X' and kissed it to show sincerity, originating the symbol for a kiss.
• Popular Pizza: While candy and flowers dominate, 41% of Americans think pizza is the most underrated Valentine's Day food. 

Surprising Numbers

• Pet Gifts: Roughly 9 million people buy Valentine's Day gifts for their pets.
• The Candy Volume: Over 8 billion conversation hearts are produced annually.
• Rose Demand: 189 million stems of roses are sold in the U.S. for the holiday.
• Chocolate Boxes: Over 35 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate are sold every year.