Happy Valentine's Day

I'm just going to say it.
I love Valentine's Day.
I used to hate it and think it was merely a Hallmark holiday, but I have had a change of heart. I love getting flowers. I love getting candy. I love getting cards. I love going out to dinner. I love Valentine's Day.
I will be spending Valentine's Day 2009 with 150 high school students in the snow of Big Bear, However, I will still be in love with every second of the day.
I hope you feel loved this Valentine's Day.

Fun facts about Valentine's Day:

The lovers' holiday traces its roots to raucous annual Roman festivals where men stripped naked, grabbed goat- or dog-skin whips, and spanked young maidens in hopes of increasing their fertility.

In the Middle Ages, there was a belief that the first unmarried person of the opposite sex you met on the morning of St. Valentine's Day would become your spouse.

About 190 million cards are exchanged annually, making Valentine's Day the second-most popular greeting-card giving occasion.

65 percent of households send greeting cards on Valentine's Day.

73 percent of Valentine Day flowers are bought by men, while women buy 23 percent of Valentine flowers.

About 45.8 percent of U.S. consumers will exchange Valentine's Day candy. About 75 percent of is from sales of chocolate.

Americans will spend about $14.7 billion in retail sales on Valentine's Day in the United States.The average U.S. consumer is expected to spend $103 on Valentine's Day gifts, meals, and entertainment, down from $123 per person in 2008.