Weird Things You Didn't Know About Valentine's Day

The price of love

• The average American will spend $119.67 on Valentine’s Day this year, up from $100.89 last year.

• Men spend almost twice as much on Valentine’s Day as women do. This year, the average man will spend $156, while the average woman will only spend $85.

• More than one-third of men would prefer not receiving a gift. Less than 20 percent of women feel the same way.

• Around this season, a dozen long-stemmed roses can cost an average of $75, or about 30% more than the normal price of $58.

• More than nine million pet owners are expected to buy gifts for their pets this Valentine's Day.

• 15 percent of U.S. women send themselves flowers on Valentine's Day.

The birds and the bees

• According to the condom company Durex, condom sales are highest around Valentine's Day, which are 20 percent to 30 percent higher than usual.

• More at-home pregnancy tests are sold in March than in any other month.

• Penicillin, a popular treatment for venereal diseases such as syphilis, was introduced to the world on February 14, 1929.

Sharing love around the world

• In Japan, women are expected to give chocolate and other gifts to men on Valentine's Day. This tradition was started as a marketing campaign by Japanese chocolate companies. Men are not off the hook, unfortunately. They are expected to return the favor on March 14th, commonly known as White Day.

• BBC reports that Shiv Sena, a nationalist political party in India, has spoken out against Valentine's day, calling it "nothing but a Western onslaught on India's culture to attract youth for commercial purposes."

• The Ivory Coast is the world's largest producer of cocoa, the main ingredient in chocolate. In 2001, the U.S. State Department reported child slavery on many cocoa farms in the Ivory Coast. A 2002 report from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture estimated there were 284,000 children working on cocoa farms in hazardous conditions.

• "I love you" in German is "Ich liebe dich."

Don't want to send mixed signals with your bouquet? Make sure you check out the secret color code of roses:

Red	Yellow*	Pink	White*	Lavender
True Love Respect Courage Romantic Love I Love You Congratulations Job Well Done	Joy Gladness Freedom Friendship I Care Welcome Back Remember Me Jealousy	Perfect Happiness Gentleness Sweetness Please Believe Me	Reverence Purity Innocence Secrecy I Am Wothy Of You Keep a Secret	Enchantment
Light Pink	Dark Pink	Peach -Pink	Peach	Orange
Grace Joy	Thankfulness	Gratitude Appreciation Admiration Sympathy	Lets Get Together Sincerity Gratitude Appreciation	Fascination Enthusiasm
Coral	Red & White	Black	Deep Burgundy	Red & Yellow Blend
Desire	Unity	Farewell Death	Unconscious Beauty	Jovial and happy feelings