Here's some facts about valentine's day

Expressing one’s love to another is a celebrated custom on Valentine’s Day; whereby sweethearts and family members present gifts to one another, such as cards, candy, flowers and other symbols of affection. Opinions differ as to who was the original Valentine, but the most popular theory is that he was a clergyman who was executed for secretly marrying couples in ancient Rome. In A.D. 496, Pope Gelasius I declared Feb. 14 as Valentine Day. Esther Howland, a native of Massachusetts, is given credit for selling the first mass-produced valentine cards in the 1840s. The spirit continues today with even young children exchanging valentine’s cards with their fellow classmates.

 Candy  

1,155                          

Number of U.S. manufacturing establishments that produced chocolate and cocoa products in 2010, employing 35,074 people. California led the nation in the number of chocolate and cocoa manufacturing establishments, with 121, followed by Pennsylvania, with 114. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns: 2010, NAICS code (31132) and (31133), <http://www.census.gov/econ/cbp/>

409

Number of U.S. establishments that manufactured nonchocolate confectionary products in 2010. These establishments employed 17,526people. California led the nation in this category, with 49 establishments. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns: 2010, NAICS code (31134) <http://www.census.gov/econ/cbp/>

$13.5 billion

Total value of shipments in 2011 for firms producing chocolate and cocoa products. (Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011 Annual Survey of Manufactures, Products and Service Codes 311320 and 311330, <http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ASM_2011_31VS101&prodType=table>

Nonchocolate confectionery product manufacturing, meanwhile, was an $8.8 billion industry. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011 Annual Survey of Manufactures, Products and Service Code 311340, <http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ASM_2011_31VS101&prodType=table>

3,365

Number of confectionery and nut stores in the United States in 2010. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, NAICS code (445292), <http://www.census.gov/econ/cbp/>

24.7 pounds
Per capita consumption of candy by Americans in 2010. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Industrial Reports, Confectionery: 2010 <http://www.census.gov/manufacturing/cir/historical_data/ma311d/index.html>