Printed and hand-written valentines often end with the letters “XOXO.” What does the “X” stand for?
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Illiterates in the Middle Ages signed documents with an “X” and, seeing it as a Christian cross, they would kiss it. The “X” kiss ultimately became a broader romantic symbol.
The Spangler Candy Company adds new phrases to its iconic Sweethearts every year. Which of the following is NOT on 2022 candy hearts alongside “Be Mine” and “Hug me”?
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Other messages this year include “PROUD OF U,” “YOUDA BEST,” “BE YOU,” “GO 4 IT,” “PUSH THRU” and “U GOT THIS.”
The earliest surviving valentine was a letter that the 15th-century French nobleman Charles, Duke of Orléans, wrote to his wife. Why couldn’t he be with her?
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The Duke wrote the letter after the English captured him at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. He was their prisoner for 24 years, although he lived mostly in castles.
A website that launched on Valentine’s Day 17 years ago would quickly grow to be a point of connection for countless people. What is it?
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YouTube was originally an online dating forum where singles could post their video introductions. The creators broadened their reach and the rest is history.
U.S. president Richard Nixon had something installed at the White House on Valentine’s Day in 1971 that would outlive his presidency. What was it?
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Nixon had his infamous Watergate-era audio recording system installed in the West Wing, including the Oval Office, on Valentine’s Day.
St. Valentine’s Day wasn’t observed widely until A.D. 496. Who gave February 14 its special meaning?
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Pope Gelasius I, a Tunisian, made February 14 the feast of St. Valentine. The saint himself was likely a priest martyred for defying Rome’s emperor and marrying young couples.
The first heart-shaped chocolate box went on sale in 1861. Who created it?
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Cadbury's heart-shaped packages came with Victorian-era artwork on them, and couples often kept them to store keepsakes after Valentine’s Day.
St. Valentine is the patron saint of lovers, but that’s not all. Which of the following groups does the Catholic Church also place under his protection?
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St. Valentine is the patron saint of lovers, beekeepers and epileptics.
On Valentine’s Day in 1876, an American applied to patent an invention that would change the world and revolutionize a significant part of Western society. What was it?
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Alexander Graham Bell was Scottish by birth but American by choice. He first presented the telephone to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on February 14, 1876.
A decidedly non-romantic thriller was released on Valentine’s Day in 1991, and won Oscars for Best Film, Best Director, Best Leading Actor and Best Leading Actress. What was it?
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“The Silence of the Lambs” is about a serial-killing cannibal. Because not everything is hearts and roses.
