Fun Facts About Valentine's Day

In case you haven't figured it out yet from the explosion of love that might be happening all around today, it's Valentine's Day. Whether you hate or love the holiday, here are some fun facts from the U.S. Census Bureau to help make the time today pass just a little bit faster.

• The most popular theory of Valentine’s Day is that Valentine was originally a clergyman who was executed for secretly marrying couples in ancient Rome. Back in A.D. 496, Pope Gelasius I declared Feb. 14 as Valentine Day. As the centuries passed, the Christian holiday became a time to exchange love messages. St. Valentine became the patron saint of lovers.
• A native Massachusetts woman named Esther Howland is credited with selling the first mass-produced valentine cards in the 1840s.
• In 2008, there were 1,317 U.S. manufacturing establishments that produced chocolate and cocoa products. California leads the nation with 146 of those establishments while Pennsylvania is a close second with 115.
• Also in 2008, there was a total of 3,375 confectionery and nut stores in United States.
• Data shows that Americans consumed 24.3 pounds of candy in 2009.
• According to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, the combined wholesale value of domestically produced cut roses in 2009 for all operations with $100,000 or more in sales was $18 million.
• The number of jewelry stores in the U.S. in 2008 was 26,683. In February 2010, those stores sold $2.4 billion in merchandise.
• Rose Hill, VA is listed as one of the romantic sounding places to spend Valentine’s Day. That’s not too far from Annandale.
• 2.1 million marriages took place in the United States in 2009.
• Data collected in 2004 by the Census showed the average length in years of first marriages ending in divorce is eight years. 
• Richard Cadbury introduced the first Valentine's Day box of chocolates in 1868.

If you're still feeling bummed after reading this or maybe you're just unhappy because it's Monday, to all of our Annandale Patch readers, we love you!