History of valentines day.

There are a lot of preconceptions about valentine's day, not to mention the fact that roses go up in price about 50 bucks, and that boxes of candy are sold weeks in advance. There are a lot of interesting facts though, and so these are just scraping the surface.

• There were actually at least a dozen saints named Valentine.
• Only two of those dozen were involved in the making of Valentine's day. 
• During the Middle ages it was commonly believed that February 14 was the start of the birds mating season.
• Valentines, or cards, were invented by the end of the 18th century.
• Approximately 1 billion cards are sent every year, not even counting hand delivered. This is compared to 2.6 billion Christmas cards.
• 62% of americans celebrate valentines day.  
• Some of the most popular romantic gestures are candies, roses, cards, and romantic dinners.
• More than six million couples get engaged on valentines day. 

So even if many people go way over the top, don't forget that something simple and sweet for friends is still great.