Quiz! Valentine’s Day Traditions: Fact Or Fiction?

Much like finding true love, this quiz is hard!

1. 1. In Victorian England, a woman seeing a sparrow fly overhead on Valentine's Day was destined to marry poor but happy.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org
   1. True.
   2. False.

   Different birds meant different things:

   A blackbird meant a clergyman husband, while a goldfinch mean marriage to a wealthy man.

2. 2. Meanwhile, a woodpecker overhead meant the lady would marry an, ahem, well-endowed man.

   Source: commons.wikimedia.org
   1. True.
   2. False.

   No Such Luck:

   A woodpecker meant the lady in question would never marry.

3. 3. Valentine's Day is rooted in the Feb. 15th Roman holiday Lupercalia, during which women would place their names into an urn and become the lover of the man who drew their name for the next year.

   Source: commons.wikimedia.org
   1. True.
   2. False.

   Oh those crazy Romans.

   Since many of these unions ended in marriage, one must assume participation was rigged or not mandatory.

4. 4. Exchanging written Valentine's began as early as the 10th century A.D.

   Source: commons.wikimedia.org
   1. True.
   2. False.

   Not Quite That Far Back!

   The first written Valentine’s Day letters appeared shortly after the turn of the15th century.

5. 5. The oldest surviving written Valentine is from a Italian priest to his mistress brought the tradition into fashion.

   Source: commons.wikimedia.org
   1. True.
   2. False.

   Only The French Start Fashionable Trends:

   In 1415 Charles, the French Duke of Orleans wrote a Valentine’s Day letter to his wife from his prison cell in the tower of London. The rest, is history.

6. 6. In medieval Sussex, February 14th was known as Birds' Wedding Day, believing it to be the day birds chose their life mates.

   Source: commons.wikimedia.org
   1. True.
   2. False.

   England Is Kind Of Obsessed With Birds.

   Chill out with the love bird portents guys.

7. 7. In modern day South Korea, those who do not receive Valentine's Day gifts go out on April 14th to commiserate with a meal of black noodles.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org
   1. True.
   2. False.

   The Noodles Are Known As Jajangmyeon:

   Depending on the individual person, April 14th is either a day of mourning the loss of love or a way to celebrate the freedom of being single.

8. 8. February 14th in Japan is marked by "obligation chocolate" where men are expected to give candy to their female friends and "true feeling chocolate" which is given to spouses or girlfriends.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org
   1. True.
   2. False.

   Other Way Around!

   On Valentine’s Day in Japan girls give out candy to male co-workers and significant others or prospective boyfriends. Then a month later, those men who received “true feelings” chocolate are required to return the favor three-fold.

9. 9. The concept of children exchanging Valentine's with each other dates back to the Middle Ages.

   Source: whitneyjefferson
   1. True.
   2. False.

   No Decorative Shoebox Required!

   Village children would leave small cards or presents on the front stoop of their friends, starting the tradition of bitter disappointment early for some.

Quiz! Valentine’s Day Traditions: Fact Or Fiction?

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Hat tip to History Channel and Foreign Students for the facts!