20 things you may not know about Valentine's Day

Love is in the air! It is almost time for Valentine's Day in Sonoma County. But how much do you know about the holiday?

Here are a few facts about the holiday, love, and marriage.

1. There were multiple St. Valentines. The Catholic Church recognizes at least three Valentines, all of whom were martyred. The most likely person to which the holiday is attributed is a priest who was executed for secretly marrying couples in ancient Rome. In A.D. 496, Pope Gelasius I declared Feb. 14 as Valentine's Day.

2. Controversy surrounds why Valentine's Day is celebrated in the middle of February. Some believe it corresponds with the death of St. Valentine. Others say it is held on Feb. 14 in an effort to “Christianize” the pagan celebration of Lupercalia, a Roman fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the god of agriculture.

3. Although Valentine's love notes have been sent since as far back as the Middle Ages, the first mass-produced Valentine's Day card is attributed to an American. Esther Howland, a Massachusetts native, started making cards celebrating the holiday in the 1840s.

4. Flowers are big business on Valentine's Day, especially red roses. Local retailers, like the Neve Brothers of Petaluma, sell between 3,000 and 4,000 bunches of roses, at 25 stems per bunch, to retailers and other wholesalers in all over the Bay Area. This year, U.S. consumers are expected to spend $18.2 billion on their loved ones, down from $19.7 billion last year.

Interested in more Valentine's Day trivia to impress the ones you love? Click through our gallery above for fun facts on the holiday, love and marriage.