As Valentine’s Day has come to a close and all the clearance candy has been bought let’s take a moment to rediscover some facts about this worldwide holiday you might not have known.

1. It became a romantic holiday in the 1300s

2. The day February 14 was chosen because that’s when many believed birds started their mating season

3. The first Valentine’s were sent in the 15th century

4. On average, men spend $150 on Valentine’s Day while women spend $74

5. An estimated 1 billion Americans send Valentine’s Day cards each year, making it the second largest card-giving holiday (Christmas is the first)

6. The first heart-shaped box of chocolates was introduced in 1868- today, more than 36 million heart-shaped boxes are sold each year

7. Over 50% of all Valentine’s Day cards are purchased 6 days before the holiday

8. Based on retail statistics, about 3 per cent of pet owners will give gifts to their pets on this day

9. The red rose was the favorite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love

10. 220,000 is the average number of wedding proposals on Valentine’s Day each year

11. More than 8 billion conversation hearts are manufactured each year

12. Nearly 10 new candy “conversation heart” sayings are introduced each year

13. On Valentine’s Day 2010, 39,897 people in Mexico City broke the record for the world’s largest group kiss

14. On Valentine’s Day, nearly 189 million stems of roses are sold in the U.S