One legend has it that Valentine’s Day originated to commemorate
the anniversary of the death of St. Valentine, a Roman clergyman who
was executed on Feb. 14, about 270 A.D., for secretly marrying couples
in defiance of the emperor. According to another, the holiday began
as a Roman fertility festival. Americans probably began exchanging handmade
valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther Howland, a native
of Massachusetts, began to sell the nation’s first mass-produced
valentine cards.
Young and Looking for Love
118
Number of single men (i.e., never married, widowed or divorced) who
are in their 20s for every 100 single women of the same ages. Corresponding
numbers for the following race and ethnic groups are:
Hispanics:
159 men per 100 women
Non-Hispanic
whites (single race): 117 men per 100 women
Blacks (single
race): 89 men per 100 women
Asians (single
race): 129 men per 100 women
<http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh-fam/cps2003.html>
Young at Heart and Looking for Love
33
Number of single men (i.e., never married, widowed or divorced) age
65 and over for every
100 single women of the same ages. Corresponding numbers for the following
race and ethnic groups are:
Hispanics:
37 men per 100 women
Non-Hispanic
whites (single race): 33 men per 100 women
Blacks (single
race): 34 men per 100 women
Asians (single
race): 30 men per 100 women
<http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh-fam/cps2003.html>
Try Looking Here . . .
Below are names of some romantic-sounding places:
Valentine, Neb. |
Lovelady, Texas |
Valentine, Texas |
Loving County, Texas |
Loveland, Colo. |
Lovington, N.M. |
Lovejoy, Ga. |
Loving, N.M. |
Loves Park, Ill. |
Love County, Okla. |
Lovelock, Nev. |
Lovington, Ill. |
Love Valley, N.C. |
Romeo, Colo. |
Loveland, Ohio |
Romeo, Mich. |
Loveland Park, Ohio |
Romeoville, Ill. |
Loveland, Okla. |
|
<http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/DatasetMainPageServlet?_program=DEC&_lang=en>
Be Mine
2.2 million
Number of marriages that take place in the United States annually. That
breaks down to about 6,000 a day. <http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/>
138,600
The number of marriages performed in Nevada during 2003. So many couples
“tie the knot” in the Silver State that it ranked fourth
nationally in marriages, even though its total population that year
was 35th. <http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr52/nvsr52_22.pdf>
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/001624.html>
25.3 and 27.1
The estimated U.S. median ages at first marriage for women and men,
respectively, in 2003. The age for women is up 4.3 years in the last
three decades. The age for men is up 3.9 years. <http://www.census.gov/population/socdemo/hh-fam/tabMS-2.pdf>
The proportion of women 20 to 24 years old who had never married more
than doubled between 1970 and 2003 — from 36 percent to 75 percent.
Changes were also dramatic for men — the corresponding rate for
men in this age group increased from 55 percent to 86 percent.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/families_households/003118.html>
54% and 57%
The percentages of American women and men, respectively, who are 15
and over and currently married. <http://www.census.gov/population/socdemo/hh-fam/tabMS-1.pdf>
4.6 milllion
Number of cohabitating couples who maintained households in 2003. These
couples comprised 4.2 percent of all households, up from 2.9 percent
in 1996.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/families_households/003118.html>
Candy is Dandy
1,006
Number of locations producing chocolate and cocoa products in 2002.
These establishments employed 42,538 people. California led the nation
in the number of such establishments (with 114) followed by Pennsylvania
(with 100). <http://www.census.gov/epcd/cbp/view/cbpview.html>
619
Number of locations that produced nonchocolate confectionary products
in 2002. These establishments employed 24,284 people. <http://www.census.gov/epcd/cbp/view/cbpview.html>
3,782
Number of confectionery and nut stores in the United States in 2002.
Often referred to as candy stores, they are among the best sources of
sweets for Valentine’s Day. <http://www.census.gov/epcd/cbp/view/cbpview.html>
24.6 pounds
Per capita consumption of candy by Americans in 2003; it is believed
a large portion is consumed around Valentine’s Day. Candy consumption
has actually declined over the last few years; in 1997, each American
gobbled or savored more than 27 pounds of candy a year. <http://www.census.gov/industry/1/ma311d03.pdf>
Flowers
$425 million
The combined wholesale value of domestically produced cut flowers in
2003 for all operations in 36 states with $100,000 or more in sales.
Among states, California was the leading producer, alone accounting
for nearly three-quarters of this amount ($306 million). <http://www.usda.gov/nass/>
$52 million
The combined wholesale value of domestically produced cut roses in 2003
for all operations in 36 states with $100,000 or more in sales. Among
all types of cut flowers, roses were second in receipts to lilies ($70
million). <http://www.usda.gov/nass/>
23,094
The number of florists nationwide in 2002. These businesses employed
119,117 people. <http://www.census.gov/epcd/cbp/view/cbpview.html>
Jewelry
28,914
Number of jewelry stores in the United States in 2002. Jewelry stores
offer engagement, wedding and other rings to lovers of all ages. In
February 2004, these stores sold $2.4 billion worth of merchandise —
a much higher total than in the preceding month or succeeding months.
<http://www.census.gov/epcd/cbp/view/cbpview.html>
<http://www.census.gov/mrts/www/mrts.html>
The merchandise at these locations could well have been produced at
one of the nation’s 1,892 jewelry manufacturing establishments.
The manufacture of jewelry was an $8.3 billion industry in 2002. <http://www.census.gov/epcd/cbp/view/cbpview.html>
(Advance data from Annual Survey of Manufactures, Statistics for
Industry Groups and Industries: 2002.)