Valentine's Day by the numbers

Valentine's Day is about romance, but these statistics are astounding:

We know lots of chocolate, flowers, and cards are bought for Valentine’s Day, but just how much? Here’s a look at the numbers.

$448 million

Spent on candy the week before Valentine’s

150 million

Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged annually, making Valentine’s Day the second-most popular greeting-card-giving occasion.

3%

The percentage of people who will give Valentine’s Day gifts to their pets, according to retail statistics.

1537

The year England’s King Henry VII officially declared Feb. 14 the holiday of St. Valentine’s Day.

Late 1800s

When Richard Cadbury produced the first box of chocolates for Valentine’s Day.

More than 35 million

The number of heart-shaped boxes of chocolate that will be sold for Valentine’s Day.

61%

Percentage of men who buy flowers for Valentine’s Day.

39%

Percentage of women who buy flowers for Valentine’s Day.

189 million

Stems of roses sold in the U.S. on Valentine’s Day.

220,000

The average number of wedding proposals on Valentine’s Day each year.

1,000

The average number of letters addressed to Juliet in the Italian city of Verona, where Shakespeare’s lovers Romeo and Juliet lived.