Looking to spice up your February 14th with some Valentine’s Day trivia? Whether you are hosting a festive party, looking for a Valentine’s quiz for the classroom, or just want to dive into the romantic facts and history of this global celebration, you’ve come to the right place. From the ancient origins of the holiday to modern-day pop culture, our Valentine’s Day questions and answers cover everything from the “Language of Flowers” to record-breaking romantic feats.
At Earth’s Attractions, we believe every holiday is an opportunity to explore world cultures. This Valentine’s trivia session isn’t just about chocolate and roses; it’s a deep dive into love traditions around the world and the fascinating stories that shaped this day. We’ve fact-checked every entry to bring you the most accurate and entertaining fun facts about Valentine’s Day available online.
Ready to challenge your partner or friends? Let’s see how much you really know about the most romantic day on the calendar! Be warned: 10 questions are expert-level! 🙂
The Ultimate Valentine’s Day Trivia Guide: 90 Questions and Answers to Test Your Knowledge
Ancient History & Origins
1. Which Roman festival is considered the precursor to Valentine’s Day?
Answer: Lupercalia
2. Who was the Roman god of love often depicted as a winged infant?
Answer: Cupid
3. In Roman mythology, who is Cupid’s mother?
Answer: Venus
4. Which Roman Emperor allegedly banned marriage, leading St. Valentine to perform secret ceremonies?
Answer: Claudius II
5. What was the original occupation of Saint Valentine?
Answer: A priest or physician
6. In what year did Pope Gelasius I declare February 14th as St. Valentine’s Day?
Answer: 496 AD
7. Which Greek god is the counterpart to the Roman Cupid?
Answer: Eros
8. What did Cupid’s leaden arrows represent?
Answer: Aversion and the desire to flee
9. What did Cupid’s golden arrows represent?
Answer: Deep desire and love
10. According to legend, what did St. Valentine sign his letter with before his execution?
Answer: “From your Valentine”
Medieval & Literary Traditions
11. Which English poet is credited with first linking Valentine’s Day to romantic love in his 1382 poem “Parliament of Fowls”?
Answer: Geoffrey Chaucer
12. Who wrote the oldest known Valentine’s message still in existence?
Answer: Charles, Duke of Orleans, in 1415
13. Where was Charles, Duke of Orleans, when he wrote his famous Valentine?
Answer: The Tower of London
14. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, which character mentions Valentine’s Day in a song?
Answer: Ophelia
15. During the Middle Ages, what did young men and women draw from a bowl to see who their Valentine would be?
Answer: Names
16. What was the “Language of Flowers” (Floriography) popularized during the Victorian era?
Answer: A means of cryptological communication through flower arrangements
Global Traditions & Geography
17. In which country is Valentine’s Day known as “El Día de los Enamorados”?
Answer: Spain/Mexico
18. In Japan, who traditionally gives gifts on February 14th?
Answer: Women give to men
19. In Denmark and Norway, men send “Gaekkebrev” – funny poems or “joke letters” – on Valentine’s Day. If the recipient guesses the sender’s identity, what does the sender owe them later that year?
Answer: An Easter Egg
20. In the Philippines, February 14th has become the most popular day of the year for what massive public event?
Answer: Mass weddings (where hundreds of couples gather to say “I do” simultaneously)
21. Which European country celebrates “The Friend’s Day” instead of Valentine’s Day?
Answer: Estonia and Finland
22. In Wales, what handcrafted wooden items are given as symbols of love?
Answer: Lovespoons
ID 422153907 ©Marilyn Barbone | Dreamstime.com
23. What city in Italy receives thousands of letters addressed to Juliet every year?
Answer: Verona
24. In Norfolk, England, who is the “Santa-like” figure that leaves gifts for children on Valentine’s Eve?
Answer: Jack Valentine
25. Which country celebrates “Valentine’s Day” on June 12th as “Dia dos Namorados”?
Answer: Brazil
Fun Facts & Statistics
26. Approximately how many Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged annually?
Answer: 1 billion
27. What is the most popular flower to give on Valentine’s Day?
Answer: Red Roses
28. About what percentage of Valentine’s Day flowers are bought by men?
Answer: Approximately 73%
29. Which iconic candy company produced the first heart-shaped box of chocolates?
Answer: Cadbury
30. When were the first “Conversation Hearts” (Sweethearts) created?
Answer: 1866 (though they took their heart shape in 1901)
31. On average, how many heart-shaped boxes of chocolate are sold each year?
Answer: Over 35 million
32. What is the most common ribbon color used on Valentine’s Day chocolate boxes?
Answer: Red
33. Which animal is the most popular recipient of Valentine’s Day gifts among pet owners?
Answer: Dogs
34. In the 18th century, what were “Vinegar Valentines”?
Answer: Insulting or sarcastic cards sent to ward off unwanted suitors
35. What is the most popular jewelry item purchased for Valentine’s Day?
Answer: Earrings
Pop Culture & Entertainment
36. Which 2010 ensemble rom-com movie is set entirely on Valentine’s Day?
Answer: Valentine’s Day
37. In the TV show Parks and Recreation, what date is “Galentine’s Day” celebrated?
Answer: February 13th
38. Which famous gangster was responsible for the “St. Valentine’s Day Massacre” in 1929?
Answer: Al Capone
39. In which Friends episode does the gang spend a miserable Valentine’s Day by burning items from their exes?
Answer: “The One with the Candy Hearts”
40. What is the highest-grossing romantic movie of all time?
Answer: Titanic
41. Who sang the hit song “My Funny Valentine”?
Answer: Frank Sinatra / Ella Fitzgerald
42. In the comic strip Peanuts, which character is constantly waiting for a Valentine but never gets one?
Answer: Charlie Brown
43. Which celebrity couple famously got married on Valentine’s Day 2009?
Answer: Salma Hayek and François-Henri Pinault
44. Which Disney movie features the iconic “Bella Notte” spaghetti-sharing scene?
Answer: Lady and the Tramp
Flowers, Science & Symbols
45. What does the red rose symbolize in the language of flowers?
Answer: Deep love and passion
46. What does a yellow rose symbolize?
Answer: Friendship
47. What does a white rose symbolize?
Answer: Purity or new beginnings
48. Which fruit was once called the “Apple of Love”?
Answer: The Tomato
49. What is the scientific name for the “love hormone” released during hugging and kissing?
Answer: Oxytocin
50. Which bird is often associated with Valentine’s Day because it was believed they chose their mates in mid-February?
Answer: The Dove
51. The X in “XOXO” stands for kisses; where does this tradition come from?
Answer: The medieval practice of signing with an X and kissing it to show sincerity
52. What state in the US produces the most roses for Valentine’s Day?
Answer: California
53. In the Victorian era, what did it mean if you sent someone a bouquet of dried flowers?
Answer: Rejected love
World Records
54. According to Guinness World Records, where was the longest marriage ever recorded?
Answer: Vietnam (82 years)
55. The largest chocolate box ever made weighed over how many pounds?
Answer: Over 5,000 lbs
56. What is the record for the most people kissing simultaneously?
Answer: 39,879 people
57. How tall was the largest chocolate heart ever created?
Answer: Over 16 feet
58. Where was the world’s most expensive Valentine’s dinner hosted (costing $100k+)?
Answer: London
Quirky & Random Trivia
59. Which occupation receives the most Valentine’s Day cards?
Answer: Teachers
60. What is the name of the goddess of love in Norse mythology?
Answer: Freyja
61. In what year did Hallmark produce its first Valentine’s Day cards?
Answer: 1913
62. What does “wearing your heart on your sleeve” refer to?
Answer: A Middle Ages tradition where men wore their Valentine’s name on their sleeve for a week
63. What is the estimated number of marriage proposals that happen on Valentine’s Day each year?
Answer: 6 million
64. According to industry surveys, what percentage of Americans plan to dine out on February 14th?
Answer: About 25%, making it the second busiest day of the year for the restaurant industry!
65. Which country has a tradition of “Spoon Sweets” for guests, often served during romantic visits?
Answer: Greece
66. What did “Casanova” famously eat to maintain his energy as a lover?
Answer: Chocolate
67. In the 1800s, doctors often prescribed what to patients pining for lost love?
Answer: Chocolate
68. Which famous inventor was born on Valentine’s Day 1859?
Answer: George Washington Ferris (creator of the Ferris Wheel)
69. What color rose should you give to express secret love?
Answer: Gardenia or Pink
70. What is the most popular flavor of chocolate in a Valentine’s box?
Answer: Caramel
71. How many roses are grown for Valentine’s Day each year?
Answer: Approximately 250 million
72. What is the average amount a person spends on Valentine’s Day?
Answer: Approximately $160-$190
73. Which US state has a town named Valentine?
Answer: Texas (and Nebraska)
74. In the 17th century, girls ate what kind of hard-boiled egg to dream of their future husband?
Answer: A “Saint Agnes” egg
75. What is the name of the winged god of love in Hindu mythology?
Answer: Kamadeva
76. Which candy was originally a lozenge used for sore throats before becoming a Valentine’s staple?
Answer: Conversation Hearts (Sweethearts)
77. What is the traditional gift for a 1st wedding anniversary?
Answer: Paper
78. What is the traditional gift for a 50th wedding anniversary?
Answer: Gold
79. What is the least popular Valentine’s gift?
Answer: Cheap perfume/cologne
80. Who is the patron saint of engaged couples and happy marriages?
Answer: Saint Valentine
Expert Questions
81. Which 14th-century French queen reportedly had a “Court of Love” that met on Valentine’s Day to rule on romantic disputes?
Answer: Isabella of Bavaria
82. In what specific year did the first mass-produced Valentine’s Day cards appear in the United States?
Answer: 1849 (by Esther Howland)
83. What is the name of the 19th-century artist, known as the “Mother of the American Valentine,” who created elaborate lace-paper cards?
Answer: Esther Howland
84. In what year did the British Royal Mail first issue a special stamp for Valentine’s Day?
Answer: 2001
85. Which Shakespearean play features the line: “Saint Valentine is past: Begin these wood-birds but to couple now?”
Answer: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
86. Beyond being the “God of Love,” what was Cupid’s Greek counterpart Eros specifically the god of in early mythology?
Answer: Primordial fertility and desire
87. Which king of England officially declared February 14th as a royal holiday in 1537?
Answer: King Henry VIII
88. What is the name of the traditional Romanian love holiday celebrated on February 24th?
Answer: Dragobete
89. Which famous scientist and mathematician died on Valentine’s Day in 1744?
Answer: John Hadley (inventor of the octant)
90. In the Victorian “Language of Flowers,” what did a sprig of Basil sent to a Valentine actually signify?
Answer: Hatred or “best wishes” (depending on the variety), often used as a warning!
Continue the Holiday Trivia Series
If you enjoyed these Valentine’s Day trivia questions and answers, continue exploring our other challenges:
- World Superlatives Trivia: Record-Breaking Places Around the Planet
- Europe Travel Trivia Questions
- US Travel Trivia Questions
- Asia Travel Trivia Questions
- Geography Trivia Questions with Answers
Exploring the history of our holidays does more than just prepare you for a quiz night – it connects us to the traditions and cultures that have shaped the world for centuries. From the streets of Verona to the chocolate shops of Tokyo, every tradition tells a story of how we connect.
How many of these 90 questions did you get right on the first try?
Valentine’s Day Trivia: Frequently Asked Questions
What is Valentine’s Day trivia?
Valentine’s Day trivia consists of quiz-style questions covering the history, folklore, pop culture, and global traditions associated with February 14th. These questions are popular for “Galentine’s” parties, classroom activities, and romantic dinner games.
Who are these Valentine’s trivia questions for?
These fact-checked questions are designed for a wide audience, including teachers, event planners, couples, and trivia enthusiasts. They range from easy fun facts to “Master Level” history that will challenge even the most dedicated experts.
Are these holiday quiz questions suitable for school use?
Yes. The selection is family-friendly and educational, making it perfect for middle school and high school classrooms, as well as homeschooling lessons about Roman history and Victorian literature.
Can I use these questions for a Valentine’s party or pub quiz?
Absolutely! We have organized the questions by category (History, Pop Culture, World Records, etc.) specifically to help you host your own trivia night or social media challenge.
Do these Valentine’s Day trivia questions include answers?
Yes. Every question in this guide includes a clear, verified answer so you can use them immediately for your event without needing to do extra research.
Is this Valentine’s Day information fact-checked?
Yes. All data regarding historical dates, consumer statistics (like the NRF dining stats), and literary references (like Shakespeare’s Hamlet) have been verified for the 2026 season.
