107 Fun Facts About Valentine's Day

Which pope is said to have first established the feast of Saint Valentine on February 14, in 496?

Gelasius I (pope 492–496) is traditionally credited, though the decree usually cited names St George rather than St Valentine, and the idea that he replaced Lupercalia has no real evidence behind it.

What Roman festival of February 15 is often (if doubtfully) cited as a forerunner of Valentine's Day?

Lupercalia, held on February 15, was a Roman purification and fertility rite; the romantic holiday first appears in Chaucer's fourteenth-century verse, long after the festival had died out in the late fifth century.

Who is credited with writing the first known Valentine's message while imprisoned in the Tower of London?

Captured at Agincourt in 1415, he spent 24 years as an English hostage and wrote most of his five hundred surviving poems in captivity; the rondeau to his wife survives as the oldest known valentine.

Which poet first linked Valentine's Day with romantic love in his 1382 poem 'Parlement of Foules'?

Geoffrey Chaucer's 'Parlement of Foules' (1382) contains the line 'For this was on Seynt Valentynes day, Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his make,' which is the earliest known association of Valentine's Day with romantic love.

Approximately how many Valentine's Day cards are exchanged annually in the United States?

That figure excludes the hundreds of millions of cards schoolchildren swap in class, and half of the adult-bought cards go to family members rather than a partner.

Most Valentine's roses sold in the US arrive by refrigerated plane from Colombia and which other country?

Ecuador and Colombia, Andean neighbours, supply the large majority of US cut-rose imports; the flowers are flown in chilled, mostly through Miami, to survive the trip.

In Japan, the cheap 'obligation chocolate' women hand to co-workers on February 14 is called what?

Giri-choko ('obligation chocolate') is the cheap kind women give to co-workers; honmei-choko is reserved for someone they truly love, and disliked colleagues may get 'ultra-obligatory' chō-giri choko.

Which Valentine's candy traces back to an 1866 machine that stamped short sayings onto candy lozenges?

Sweethearts conversation hearts descend from NECCO founder Oliver Chase's 1847 lozenge cutter; his brother Daniel devised a way to print sayings on the candy in 1866, and the heart shape followed in the early 1900s.

In the balcony scene, Juliet's 'wherefore art thou Romeo?' is asking what?

'Wherefore' means 'why', so it is why he is a Montague that she laments: the boy she loves belongs to her family's enemies. She is not asking where he is.

Which US state was admitted to the Union on February 14, 1912?

Arizona became the 48th state on February 14, 1912, the last of the contiguous states to join; New Mexico had been admitted five weeks earlier, on January 6, 1912.

Which city in Italy is considered the most romantic and is associated with Romeo and Juliet?

Verona, Italy is the setting of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Tourists visit 'Juliet's Balcony' at the Casa di Giulietta, and thousands of love letters are sent to Juliet there every year.

Which country celebrates its lovers' day on June 12, the eve of Saint Anthony's day?

Brazil's Dia dos Namorados falls on June 12, the eve of Saint Anthony's day, when single women traditionally perform rituals called simpatias to find a husband.

What color roses symbolize friendship rather than romantic love?

Yellow roses traditionally symbolize friendship, joy, and caring rather than romantic love. Red roses signify romantic love, white roses represent purity, and pink roses convey gratitude and admiration.

Which 1990 film features the pottery wheel scene between Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze?

Ghost was the highest-grossing film of 1990 and won two Academy Awards, for Whoopi Goldberg's supporting role and Bruce Joel Rubin's screenplay.

In Catalonia, lovers exchange roses and books on which saint's day, April 23?

Sant Jordi, Saint George, is Catalonia's patron saint; on his feast day, April 23, couples traditionally exchange roses and books, and the date is also UNESCO's World Book Day.

How many martyred Saint Valentines do early martyrologies list under February 14?

Three Saint Valentines share February 14 in the early martyrologies: Valentine of Rome, Valentine of Terni, and a third said to have suffered with companions in the Roman province of Africa, about whom nothing else is known.

In which country is February 14 celebrated as 'Día del Amor y la Amistad'?

In Mexico and several Latin American countries, Valentine's Day is celebrated as 'Día del Amor y la Amistad' (Day of Love and Friendship), emphasizing both romantic love and platonic friendships.

Colombia holds its 'Día del amor y la amistad' on the third Saturday of which month, not February?

Colombia holds its Día del Amor y la Amistad on the third Saturday of September; the country grows a large share of the world's Valentine's roses yet celebrates its own love-and-friendship day months after February.

Which 1942 film ends with 'Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship'?

Casablanca (1942), starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, ends with this iconic line. The film is widely regarded as one of the greatest love stories in cinema history.

In ancient Egyptian medicine, the roles of which two organs were effectively swapped?

Egyptians treated the heart as the seat of thought and the brain as unimportant, which is why embalmers preserved the heart and discarded the brain.

Which country celebrates 'Singles' Day' on November 11 as an anti-Valentine's Day?

China's Singles' Day began among Nanjing University bachelors in 1993, the date 11/11 chosen for its four lone '1's, and became the world's largest shopping day after Alibaba adopted it in 2009.

Which 1989 Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan comedy asked whether men and women can really be just friends?

When Harry Met Sally (1989) grew out of Nora Ephron's conversations with director Rob Reiner about his single life, with Billy Crystal shaping Harry; its Katz's Delicatessen scene is marked by a sign above the table.

What does 'XOXO' stand for in the context of Valentine's messages?

XOXO reads as hugs and kisses, X for a kiss and O for a hug; the earliest use of X for a kiss found by the Oxford English Dictionary is in Florence Montgomery's 1878 novel Seaforth.

Once classroom exchanges are counted, which group receives the most valentines in the US?

Teachers receive the most valentines in the US once classroom exchanges are counted: a teacher with thirty pupils collects a stack every year, which is why school exchanges dwarf the adult card trade.

The heart shape symbol used on Valentine's Day is thought to be based on the shape of which plant's seed?

Silver coins from Cyrene, in modern Libya, carry the shape alongside the plant itself, and silphium was so prized it was eventually harvested to extinction.

Which 2003 British romantic film weaves ten interconnected pre-Christmas stories?

Love Actually (2003), Richard Curtis's directing debut, opens five weeks before Christmas and counts down week by week through ten intertwined stories, with an epilogue a month later.

Cupid's Greek counterpart, the god of love, is known by what name?

Eros is the Greek god of love whom the Romans called Cupid; in Hesiod's Theogony he is one of the primordial gods, while later poets made him Aphrodite's son.

Which diarist recorded 1660s London valentine customs, such as drawing names by lot?

Samuel Pepys's diary for the 1660s records Valentine's customs such as drawing names by lot and giving gifts; on February 14, 1667 he noted that young Will Mercer came to be his wife's valentine.

What chemical compound, sometimes called the 'love hormone,' is released during hugging and bonding?

Oxytocin, often called the 'love hormone' or 'cuddle hormone,' is released during physical touch, hugging, and bonding activities. It plays a key role in social bonding, trust, and romantic attachment.

The Valentine's Day Massacre of 1929 took place in which American city?

The Saint Valentine's Day Massacre took place in Chicago on February 14, 1929, when seven men linked to Bugs Moran's North Side gang were shot by Al Capone's associates in a North Clark Street garage, a defining Prohibition-era crime.

Which famous playwright wrote: 'The course of true love never did run smooth'?

This quote comes from Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' (Act 1, Scene 1). Lysander speaks the line to Hermia, acknowledging the obstacles to their love.

Who directed the 2010 ensemble romantic comedy titled Valentine's Day?

Garry Marshall directed Valentine's Day (2010), an ensemble romantic comedy set over one February 14 in Los Angeles; he followed it with the similar New Year's Eve in 2011.

'Takotsubo', the Japanese name for so-called broken heart syndrome, translates as what?

The stressed ventricle balloons at the tip while the base keeps working, so on a scan it resembles the round-bellied pot Japanese fishermen use to catch octopus.

Which Scottish poet wrote 'O my Luve is like a red, red rose' in 1794?

Robert Burns published 'A Red, Red Rose' in 1794, drawing on traditional Scots songs he collected; its opening 'O my Luve is like a red, red rose' is among the most quoted lines of love poetry.

What is the traditional gift material for a first wedding anniversary?

Paper is the traditional first-anniversary gift material; the same list gives wood for the fifth anniversary and tin for the tenth.

In Finland, Valentine's Day is called 'Ystävänpäivä,' which translates to what?

In Finland, February 14 is 'Ystävänpäivä,' meaning 'Friend's Day.' Rather than focusing on romantic love, Finns celebrate all forms of friendship and affection, exchanging cards and small gifts with friends.

Heart-shaped charges first appear in heraldry in which century?

Heart-shaped charges appear from the 12th century: the hearts on Denmark's coat of arms trace back to a royal seal of the 1190s, though early heraldic 'hearts' often depicted water-lily leaves.

What 1997 film features a love story aboard a doomed ocean liner and won 11 Academy Awards?

Titanic (1997), directed by James Cameron and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, won 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture. The fictional love story of Jack and Rose unfolds during the Titanic's maiden voyage.

Who wrote the earliest surviving valentine in English, a 1477 letter to "my right well-beloved Valentine"?

Margery Brews wrote the 1477 letter to her future husband John Paston, calling him her 'right well-beloved Valentine'; it survives among the Paston family papers, one of the great troves of medieval English correspondence.

US Valentine's Day spending topped $18.2 billion in 2017 — roughly how much per person?

About $136 per person: the National Retail Federation's 2017 survey put average planned spending at $136.57, covering partners, family, friends, co-workers and pets, for a national total of $18.2 billion.

In Wales, what wooden craft item is a traditional romantic gift on St. Dwynwen's Day, January 25?

A carved spoon, the Welsh lovespoon, is the traditional token; the oldest dated example, from 1667, sits in the St Fagans National History Museum near Cardiff, though the tradition is believed to be older.

Which company bought the Sweethearts conversation-heart brand from Necco in 2018?

Spangler Candy, the Ohio maker of Dum Dums, bought the Sweethearts and Necco Wafers brands in 2018 after Necco collapsed; Necco had been turning out nearly 8 billion Sweethearts a year.

According to legend, Saint Valentine performed what act that angered Roman Emperor Claudius II?

Legend says Valentine secretly married soldiers in defiance of a marriage ban, but historian George Monger notes no such ban was ever issued; Claudius II actually told his soldiers to take two or three women each after beating the Goths.

Which inventor's telephone patent application was filed on February 14, 1876?

Alexander Graham Bell's telephone patent application reached the US Patent Office on February 14, 1876, the same day Elisha Gray filed a rival caveat; Bell's patent 174,465 was issued on March 7, 1876.

Which romantic comedy has a bookshop owner and a famous actress falling in love in west London?

Notting Hill (1999) stars Hugh Grant as bookshop owner William Thacker and Julia Roberts as famous actress Anna Scott. The film is set in London's charming Notting Hill neighborhood and became a beloved romantic comedy classic.

What actually happens in the stress condition popularly nicknamed for a broken heart?

Broken heart syndrome is a temporary weakening of the heart muscle: symptoms mimic a heart attack, but the ballooning left ventricle usually recovers within days to weeks and the coronary arteries are not blocked.

Whose Worcester, Massachusetts business made the first mass-produced American valentines after 1847?

Esther Howland, hoping for $200 of orders on her first run, was stunned when her brother returned with more than $5,000 worth, and built an assembly line of women in Worcester to keep up.

Which Italian chocolate, created by Luisa Spagnoli in 1922, comes wrapped with a love note?

Baci Perugina, 'kisses' in Italian, were created in Perugia in 1922 by Luisa Spagnoli; each hazelnut-topped chocolate is wrapped with a slip carrying a multilingual love quotation.

What is 'galentine's Day,' celebrated on February 13?

Galentine's Day celebrates female friendship: it began as a fictional holiday on Parks and Recreation in 2010, where Leslie Knope hosts a brunch for 'ladies celebrating ladies', and has since crossed into real life.

Besides lovers, Terni and beekeepers, Saint Valentine is patron of people with which condition?

Epilepsy is among Saint Valentine's traditional patronages, alongside lovers, beekeepers and fainting; the link is old enough that epilepsy was once called Saint Valentine's sickness in German-speaking lands.

Saudi religious police ordered shops to remove all items of which colour before February 14?

Red was the banned colour: roses, gift wrap and hearts were pulled from shelves because the day was treated as a Christian holiday; by 2018 a senior cleric declared it compatible with Islamic values and enforcement lapsed.

Which future US president lost both his wife and mother on February 14, 1884?

Theodore Roosevelt's mother Mittie died of typhoid and his wife Alice of kidney failure in the same house on February 14, 1884; his diary for the day holds a large X and 'The light has gone out of my life.'

In which Central American country is February 14 known as 'Día del Cariño', or Affection Day?

Most of Latin America calls it Lovers' Day or Love and Friendship Day, but Guatemala's name puts affection of every kind first.

Chaucer's Parliament of Fowls honoured the engagement of which English king?

Richard II, then fifteen, married Anne of Bohemia in January 1382, and Chaucer's poem is thought to mark their match, imagining birds gathering on Saint Valentine's Day to choose their mates.

Which video-sharing website was founded on February 14, 2005?

YouTube's domain was registered on February 14, 2005 by former PayPal employees Chad Hurley, Steve Chen and Jawed Karim; Google bought the site for $1.65 billion the following year.

Greeting-card giant Hallmark was founded in which US city in 1910?

Hallmark began in Kansas City, Missouri, where 18-year-old Joyce Hall started selling postcards from a YMCA room in 1910; the Hallmark brand name followed in the 1920s.

What common symbol of Valentine's Day is often depicted with an arrow piercing it?

The heart is the stock Valentine's symbol, usually shown pierced by the arrow of the winged god of desire, with doves as the day's other standard image.

Singles' Day falls on 11 November because the numeral 1 resembles what?

'Bare stick' is slang for an unmarried man; since Alibaba adopted the date in 2009 it has become the world's biggest shopping day.

In which year did the Catholic Church remove Saint Valentine from the General Roman Calendar, leaving his feast to local calendars?

Since 1969 his feast has survived only on local calendars, such as Balzan in Malta, and among Traditionalists using the pre-1970 calendar.

Which Viennese painter's gold-leaf The Kiss (1907–08) hangs in the Belvedere?

Gustav Klimt painted The Kiss in 1907–08 at the height of his 'golden phase', using gold leaf on a near-square canvas; the Austrian state bought it in 1908 and it hangs in Vienna's Belvedere.

Which British explorer was killed at Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii, on February 14, 1779?

James Cook was killed on February 14, 1779 at Kealakekua Bay on Hawaii's Big Island, during a skirmish with Hawaiians over a stolen boat on his third Pacific voyage.

On which date does Eastern Orthodoxy commemorate Saint Valentine?

July 6 is the Orthodox feast of Saint Valentine the Roman presbyter, with Valentine of Terni kept separately on July 30; the Western feast falls on February 14.

Which mythological figure, often depicted with a bow and arrow, is a prominent symbol of Valentine's Day?

Cupid, the Roman god of desire, erotic love, and affection, is frequently depicted with a bow and arrows, which he uses to inspire love. He is a central figure in Valentine's Day imagery.

Rodgers and Hart wrote the standard 'My Funny Valentine' for which 1937 musical?

'My Funny Valentine' was written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart for Babes in Arms (1937), sung to a character named Valentine; it became a jazz standard recorded by Chet Baker and Frank Sinatra among many others.

Which type of confectionery is the classic Valentine's Day gift?

Boxes of chocolates, often heart-shaped, became associated with Valentine's Day in the 19th century and remain one of the most popular gifts.

How much did a Victorian 'vinegar valentine' — an insulting mock card — typically cost?

A penny bought a vinegar valentine, printed on one side of a single sheet; before prepaid postage became standard the recipient often had to pay to receive the insult.

The Qixi Festival, often called Chinese Valentine's Day, falls on which day of the lunar calendar?

Qixi falls on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, the 'Night of Sevens', recalling the once-a-year meeting of the cowherd and the weaver girl across the Milky Way.

Counting the cards children swap at school, roughly how many valentines change hands in the US each year?

About 1 billion valentines change hands in the US each year once classroom exchanges are counted, several times the number of cards adults buy for one another.

Which abolitionist, unsure of his birth date, chose to celebrate it on February 14?

Frederick Douglass, born into slavery in Maryland around 1818 with no record of his birthday, settled on February 14, partly because he recalled his mother calling him her 'little Valentine'.

Which early electronic computer was publicly unveiled at the University of Pennsylvania on February 14, 1946?

ENIAC, the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer, was unveiled at the University of Pennsylvania on February 14, 1946; it filled a room with some 18,000 vacuum tubes and was built for Army artillery calculations.

Which African country marks February 14 as National Chocolate Day?

Ghana, one of the world's largest cocoa growers, declared February 14 National Chocolate Day in the 2000s to boost domestic consumption of chocolate made from its own beans.

What did 'N.E.V.Co.', stamped on the first mass-produced American valentines, stand for?

She also stamped a red 'H' on the back, and ran what a Cooper Hewitt curator called an assembly line of women building the intricate cards.

Which revived Jewish festival serves as Israel's equivalent of Valentine's Day?

Tu B'Av, the 15th of the month of Av, was an ancient matchmaking festival revived in modern Israel as a day to proclaim love, propose marriage and give cards or flowers.

Which Roman goddess of love is, in some myths, the mother of Cupid, the archer god of desire, by Mars?

Venus's functions ran to beauty, desire, sex, fertility, prosperity and victory, and other myths make her the consort of Vulcan instead.

Which white bird, sacred to Aphrodite, is a common Valentine's symbol of peace and love?

Doves were sacred to Aphrodite, who absorbed the association from Inanna-Ishtar of Mesopotamia and often appears with the birds on Greek pottery; the white dove became a Valentine's emblem of peace and love.

In which European country is Saint Valentine also known as Zdravko, a patron of beekeepers?

Slovenia knows Saint Valentine as Zdravko, a saint of spring and patron of beekeepers and pilgrims; a local proverb says 'Saint Valentine brings the keys of roots', marking the day plants start to grow.

Since 1970, February 14 in the General Roman Calendar honours which 'Apostles to the Slavs'?

Saints Cyril and Methodius, the ninth-century Byzantine brothers who brought Christianity and a Slavic alphabet to the Slavs, took over February 14 in the General Roman Calendar when Saint Valentine's feast was dropped in the post-Vatican II revision.

Which Shakespeare play features a character lamenting 'Tomorrow is Saint Valentine's Day'?

In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Ophelia sings, 'Tomorrow is Saint Valentine's Day, All in the morning betime, And I a maid at your window, To be your Valentine.'

Which large waterbird symbolises love and fidelity for its seemingly monogamous bonds?

Trumpeter swans can pair up as early as 20 months old and live around 24 years.

On which South Korean holiday, March 14, do men give women candy?

In South Korea (and other East Asian countries), White Day, celebrated on March 14th, is when men reciprocate gifts to women who gave them chocolates on Valentine's Day.

In which English county does 'Jack' Valentine leave sweets at children's back doors?

Norfolk's Jack Valentine knocks on the back door, leaves sweets or small gifts and vanishes, a local custom that makes the day a children's treat as much as a lovers' one.

Saint Valentine of Rome is said to have been buried along which Roman road?

Via Flaminia, the road running north from Rome toward Rimini, is where Saint Valentine of Rome was buried; a fourth-century basilica and catacombs named for him lie beside it near the Milvian Bridge.

What popular phrase is often written on small, heart-shaped candies exchanged on Valentine's Day?

Conversation hearts, or candy hearts, are a traditional Valentine's Day candy printed with short, romantic, or affectionate phrases such as 'Be Mine', 'Kiss Me', or 'Love You'.

What is the birthstone for February, often given as a Valentine's gift?

Amethyst is the birthstone for February, making it a popular and meaningful gift for those celebrating Valentine's Day. It is known for its beautiful purple hues.

On Valentine's Day 2011, religious authorities in which country arrested more than 100 Muslim couples?

Malaysia's Islamic authorities arrested more than 100 Muslim couples in raids on Valentine's Day 2011; a 2005 fatwa had ruled the day un-Islamic, and officials ran a campaign called 'Mind the Valentine's Day Trap' beforehand.

In 2017, a high court in which country banned Valentine's Day celebrations in public places?

Pakistan's Islamabad High Court banned public Valentine's celebrations and media promotion of the day in February 2017, one of several countries where it has drawn official restrictions.

What does the idiom 'wearing your heart on your sleeve' mean?

Displaying emotions openly is the idea: being transparent and forthright about what you feel, where everyone can see it.

What plant with distinctive heart-shaped leaves is often given as a potted gift on Valentine's Day?

Hoya kerrii, nicknamed the sweetheart plant or 'lucky-heart', has thick heart-shaped leaves and is sold in Europe as a single potted leaf for the day.

Which French sculptor's marble 'The Kiss' depicts Paolo and Francesca, the lovers from Dante's Inferno?

Auguste Rodin's The Kiss, first carved in marble in the 1880s, shows Paolo and Francesca, the adulterous lovers of Dante's Inferno, and was originally planned for his Gates of Hell before being shown on its own.

Saint Valentine's flower-crowned skull is displayed in which Roman basilica?

Santa Maria in Cosmedin also houses the Bocca della Verità, so visitors can see the flower-crowned skull labelled Saint Valentine's and the famous 'mouth of truth' in one stop.

Which poetic form, born in 13th-century Sicily, was at first used mainly for love poetry?

The sonnet began at the Sicilian court of Frederick II in the 13th century as a love-poetry form, spread across Europe through Petrarch, and later admitted any subject at all.

The Roman purification instruments called 'februa' gave their name to what?

The mid-February festival that used them was also called dies Februatus, and the month took its name from the same purging rites.

A manuscript of which 1250s French work has the first known picture of a heart as a symbol of love?

In the Roman de la poire miniature a kneeling lover offers his heart to a damsel, though the object looks more like a pine cone than today's symbol.

Relics of Saint Valentine draw pilgrims hoping for romance to Whitefriar Street Church in which city?

Dublin's Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church received the relics from Pope Gregory XVI in 1836 as a gift to the preacher John Spratt; the shrine is busiest on February 14.

Which confectioner introduced Valentine's Day to Japan in 1936 with an advert aimed at foreigners?

Morozoff ran the first Japanese Valentine's advert in 1936 and in 1953 began pushing heart-shaped chocolates, with the rest of the industry following.

Half of US valentines go to family members other than a spouse — usually to whom?

Cards for kids account for a big slice of the adult-bought valentines sent each year, before school exchanges are even counted.

Valentine's customs of cards, sweets and flowers spread through the English-speaking world in which century?

Mass-produced cards took over from handwritten notes in that century, and the heart-shaped chocolate box arrived towards its end.

The first mass-produced American valentines, sold shortly after 1847, were made of embossed what?

Their maker imported the lace and floral decorations from England after being inspired by a valentine she received from her father's business associate.

Who allegedly issued the 1400 Charter of the Court of Love describing a February 14 love festival?

Charles VI of France allegedly issued the charter at Mantes-la-Jolie in 1400; it describes feasts, song contests and jousts at which ladies ruled on lovers' disputes, and no other record of the court exists.

What is Valentine's Day called in the Philippines, where mass weddings mark February 14?

Araw ng mga Puso, 'Day of Hearts', is the Filipino name; some localities stage free mass wedding ceremonies on the day and the price of red roses spikes sharply.

Which day, rather than February 14, is Japan's traditional romantic 'date night'?

Christmas Eve is Japan's big romantic night, when couples book dinners and hotels; on Valentine's Day itself it is chiefly women who give chocolates to men, a custom possibly born of a translation error.

In 2023, India's Animal Welfare Board urged citizens to mark February 14 as what instead?

Cow Hug Day was the Animal Welfare Board of India's suggestion for February 14, 2023, withdrawn within days after ridicule; Valentine's Day itself only caught on in India around 1992, spread by MTV, radio and love-letter competitions.

Which ancient Persian festival of love was promoted in Iran as an alternative to Valentine's Day?

Sepandarmazgan, an ancient Zoroastrian festival honouring Spenta Armaiti, guardian of the earth and of women, falls in late February and was revived in Iran as a home-grown day of love.

Which spacecraft took the 'Pale Blue Dot' photograph of Earth on February 14, 1990?

Voyager 1 took the Pale Blue Dot image on February 14, 1990 from about 6 billion kilometres away, at Carl Sagan's urging, showing Earth as a speck less than a pixel wide.

Which Orthodox saint, with a July 3 feast day, traditionally protects people in love in Greece?

Hyacinth of Caesarea, a young martyr with a July 3 feast, was promoted from the late 1990s as Greece's own patron of lovers, though most Greeks keep Valentine's Day in the Western way.

Which Polish town, home to a Saint Valentine relic, launched its public Valentine's festival in 2002?

Chełmno's parish church has kept a relic of Saint Valentine since the Middle Ages, and the town staged its first Walentynki Chełmińskie in 2002; the cult reached Poland via Bavaria and Tyrol.

In Portugal, what embroidered item is the 'lenço de namorados' given to sweethearts?

A handkerchief: the lenço de namorados, from Portugal's Minho region, is stitched by a woman with love motifs and verses and given to her sweetheart to wear or carry.