Valentine’s Day is a bit of a complicated holiday for many, so what better way to start a conversation than with some Valentine’s Day trivia? Equal parts enchanting, fascinating, and surprising, we’ve put together this list to help you navigate and learn more about the history, tradition, and sweet sentiments behind this day of love (in a fun way!). Whether you’re a hopeless romantic or simply curious about the holiday’s origins, this Valentine’s Day trivia will help you discover the lesser-known facts that make February 14 a day to remember.
Valentine’s Day Trivia
1. Who is Valentine’s Day named after?
2. Which Roman festival is considered the origin of Valentine’s Day?
3. Which medieval English poet is believed to have first linked the tradition of courtly love with the celebration of St. Valentine’s Feast Day?
4. What is the oldest known Valentine’s Day message in English, and who wrote it?
The oldest known Valentine’s message in English was written by Margery Brews in 1477.
5. When did Valentine’s Day begin to be commercially celebrated with the mass production of Valentine’s Day cards?
In the 19th century.
6. Approximately how many Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year in the United States?
Around 145 million.
7. What are the most popular gifts given on Valentine’s Day?
Chocolates, flowers, jewelry, and romantic dinners are the most popular Valentine’s Day gifts in the United States.
8. What are the most common symbols associated with Valentine’s Day?
Hearts, red roses, and Cupid, among others.
9. In which country is it a tradition to anonymously send a poem to one’s crush on Valentine’s Day?
10. What unique Valentine’s Day tradition do women follow in Japan?
Women give chocolates to men, not just their romantic partners but also colleagues and friends.
11. Which country traditionally has a “White Day” exactly one month after Valentine’s Day, at which time men are expected to return gifts to women?
Japan (also celebrated in South Korea and Taiwan).
12. What is the special day for single people in South Korea to mourn their solitary status called?
Black Day (celebrated on April 14).
13. What is the name of the Roman god of love often associated with Valentine’s Day?
14. What Italian city, famous as the setting for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, is a popular destination for Valentine’s Day?
15. In which U.S. state is it illegal to marry on Valentine’s Day?
This Valentine’s Day trivia question is a tricky one! It’s not illegal to marry on Valentine’s Day in any U.S. state.
16. What percentage of Valentine’s Day cards are purchased by women?
17. What famous poem referencing two flowers is often associated with Valentine’s Day?
Roses are red, violets are blue …
18. Which country started the tradition of exchanging handwritten love notes and cards on Valentine’s Day in the 17th century?
19. In Finland, what is celebrated instead of romantic love on Valentine’s Day?
It’s a day to celebrate friendship so it’s also called Friend’s Day.
20. What is the term for a person who sends a Valentine’s card anonymously?
21. Which U.S. state produces the most roses for Valentine’s Day?
22. What is the most popular Valentine’s Day candy in the United States?
Conversation hearts, heart-shaped candies with short messages printed on them.
23. In the Middle Ages, why did young men and women draw names from a bowl during Valentine’s festivities?
They would draw names to see who their valentine would be.
24. What is the name of the Roman goddess of love and beauty?
25. What is the traditional color of Valentine’s Day?
Red. It symbolizes passion and love.
26. How many Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged annually worldwide?
27. What animal is often associated with Valentine’s Day, symbolizing loyalty and love?
28. When did Hallmark first mass-produce Valentine’s Day cards?
1913.
29. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, which character is given a remembrance on Valentine’s Day?
30. According to legend, what happens if a woman sees a robin flying overhead on Valentine’s Day?
She will marry a sailor.
31. Which country celebrates Dia dos Namorados (Lovers’ Day) on June 12 instead of February 14?
32. Which country holds the Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of people dressed as Cupid at one time?
The largest gathering of cupids consisted of 199 participants in Madrid, Spain, on January 23, 2009.
33. Which iconic New York City landmark is illuminated with red lights every Valentine’s Day?
The Empire State Building, although in 2022 it was illuminated in Tiffany Blue!
34. In Welsh tradition, what unique gift is often exchanged on January 25, St. Dwynwen’s Day, the Welsh equivalent of Valentine’s Day?
A lovespoon—a wooden spoon carved with symbols of love.
35. Which Roman emperor is believed to have executed two men named Valentine on February 14 of different years in the 3rd century AD?
36. What government-sponsored tradition takes place on Valentine’s Day in the Philippines?
Many couples choose Valentine’s Day to participate in a government-sponsored event for a free mass wedding ceremony.
37. Which confectionery company, known for its chocolates, created the first box of Valentine’s Day chocolates?
Richard Cadbury of the Cadbury confectionery company is credited with creating the first box of Valentine’s Day chocolates.
38. Which author wrote the bestselling novel Valentine?
39. What percentage of pet owners give Valentine’s Day gifts to their pets?
40. What Italian city is known for its romantic gondola rides and is a popular destination for Valentine’s Day?
41. In Norwich, England, who knocks on doors and leaves sweets and presents for children on Valentine’s Day?
42. What is the name of the famous letter written by Beethoven believed to be written to an unknown lover?
The Immortal Beloved letter.
43. On Valentine’s Day in Scotland, what tradition is followed to find out who your valentine will be?
Traditionally, young unwed men and women would write their names on pieces of paper, place them in hats, and wait for each person to draw one name out. If the name was read out three times, it meant they would get married!
44. What very unromantic place was the site where the first Valentine’s poem was written?
A prison. After being captured at the Battle of Agincourt, Charles, Duke of Orleans, wrote a love letter to his second wife. He was imprisoned for more than 20 years and never saw his valentine’s reaction to the poem he wrote for her in the early 15th century.
45. How many Valentine’s Day cards are typically sold in the United Kingdom each year?
Over 20 million.
46. What fruit is known as the “love apple,” often associated with love and sometimes used in Valentine’s Day imagery?
The tomato.
47. In what century did the practice of exchanging handmade paper valentines begin in Europe?
The 16th century.
48. According to legend, why was Saint Valentine imprisoned?
Saint Valentine was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers, who were forbidden to marry, and for ministering to Christians persecuted under the Roman Empire.
49. In ancient Rome, February 14 was a holiday to honor which goddess associated with women and marriage?
Juno.
50. Which Shakespeare play features Valentine’s Day as a plot element?
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, but several of Shakespeare’s plays can be associated with the holiday. For example, Julius Caesar begins on Lupercalia.
51. What is the approximate percentage of women who send themselves flowers on Valentine’s Day?
52. In medieval times, why did girls eat unusual foods on Valentine’s Day?
To make them dream of their future spouses.
53. In what year did the first chocolate box for Valentine’s Day appear?
It was created by Richard Cadbury in 1868.
54. What traditional color is commonly worn by brides at their weddings in some Eastern cultures? (Hint: It’s not white.)
Red.
55. In South Korea, apart from Valentine’s Day and Black Day, what is the term for the day celebrated on the 14th of every month, each with a different theme related to love?
The “Love Day” Series includes 12 different days, one for each 14th of the month. These include White Day, Kissing Day, and Hug Day.
56. In the Harry Potter series, which character sends Harry a singing valentine in the second book?
57. Which U.S. president officially declared February 14 as Valentine’s Day?
Tricky, tricky Valentine’s Day trivia! No U.S. president has officially declared February 14 as Valentine’s Day.
58. What is the name of the “holiday” celebrated on February 15, often considered an antidote to the romantic focus of Valentine’s Day?
59. In which Shakespeare play is Valentine’s Day mentioned in the context of romance and choosing a mate?
In Hamlet, it is the character Ophelia who references Valentine’s Day in Act 4, Scene 5, during a scene where she is expressing her distress and grief.
60. What is the next most popular flower given on Valentine’s Day after roses?
The second- and third-most popular Valentine’s Day flowers are orchids and carnations.
61. How did the X symbol come to be associated with a kiss in Valentine’s Day cards?
The X symbolizes a kiss because in medieval times, people who couldn’t write would sign documents with an X and then seal it with a kiss to show sincerity.
62. When did Valentine’s Day become a commercial holiday in the United States?
In the mid-1800s, with the mass production of Valentine’s Day cards.
63. How many people propose on Valentine’s Day each year in the United States?
Approximately 220,000.
64. How much money do U.S. consumers spend on Valentine’s Day each year?
The National Retail Federation estimates that U.S. consumers spend $25.9 billion on the holiday.
65. In what countries is Valentine’s Day known as “El Día del Amor y la Amistad” (The Day of Love and Friendship)?
In several Latin American countries, including Colombia and Mexico, El Día del Amor y la Amistad is celebrated on February 14.
66. During the Victorian era, what was the significance of sending a “vinegar valentine”?
Vinegar valentines were used to send a message of rejection or to mock, as opposed to expressing affection.
67. What was Cupid known as in ancient Greece?
In ancient Greece, Cupid was known as Eros, the young son of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty.
68. In Denmark and Norway, what is the name of the traditional Valentine’s Day letter?
A Gaekkebrev, where the sender writes a funny poem or rhyme and signs it with dots, one for each letter of their name.
69. What popular Valentine’s Day candy was originally a lozenge created by a Boston pharmacist?
70. On February 14, 1929, what infamous event associated with mobster Al Capone took place in Chicago?
The Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre.
71. In Parks and Recreation, what is the name of the holiday celebrated on February 13 that focuses on female friendships?
72. What is the name of the neurotransmitter often referred to as the “love hormone,” commonly associated with feelings of love and bonding?
73. Where does the saying “wearing your heart on your sleeve” come from?
It likely has origins related to picking a valentine. In the Middle Ages, at a festival celebrating Juno in Rome, men would select women’s names to determine who would be their partners for the year. Once chosen, these men displayed the names on their sleeves throughout the festival to signify their connection.
74. What fruit is often called the “fruit of love” and is associated with fertility and Valentine’s Day?
Strawberries are often seen as symbols of love and fertility, a notion stemming from their heart shape, vivid color, and the plentiful seeds that dot their surface. Folklore holds that two people who share a strawberry are destined to fall in love.
75. In Romeo and Juliet, which character gives Romeo a love potion to make him fall in love with Juliet?
Another Valentine’s Day trivia surprise! No character gives Romeo a love potion in Romeo and Juliet. It is Juliet who received an unfortunate potion.
76. Which U.S. state is known as the “Valentine State” because it achieved statehood on February 14?
Arizona, which became a state on February 14, 1912. Oregon also became a state on Valentine’s Day, in 1859.
77. In what year did the U.S. Postal Service first issue a love-themed postage stamp for Valentine’s Day?
1973.
78. What iconic artistic symbol of love is frequently visited by couples on Valentine’s Day?
The Love Sculpture by Robert Indiana.
79. What do yellow roses symbolize?
Yellow roses symbolize friendship, while red roses symbolize love.
80. What human organ is also a symbol of love and is frequently used in Valentine’s Day imagery?
The heart. No Valentine’s Day trivia would be complete without THIS question!
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Plus, if you loved this Valentine’s Day trivia, be sure to check out these 84 Punny Valentine’s Day Jokes To Spread Love and Laughter.
