Interesting Statistics Regarding the Day of Love

The Business of Love (excerpted from biblestudy.org)
Though Valentine hearts and roses are red, retailers and business owners see the green of MONEY when it comes to celebrating the holiday. Here are some fast facts about the Valentine's holiday*:In the United States Valentine's week is ranked number one in regard to chocolate candy sales. Sales of chocolate account for more than $345 million out of the more than $448 million dollars in candy consumers will purchase to celebrate the holiday.

• E-commerce retailers expect to rack up about $650 million dollars selling food, candy, flowers and other Valentine's Day related goods.
• About 15 million Electronic Valentines (E-Valentines) were sent in 2010.
• About 1 billion Valentine's Day cards are exchanged each year. Teachers receive the most cards, followed by children, mothers, wives, then sweethearts. Children ages 6 to 10 exchange more than 650 million Valentine's cards with teachers, classmates and family members.
• Canadians, in 2007, averaged spending $92.30 on Valentine gifts.
• U.S. consumers, in 2009, spent an average of $102.50 on Valentine’s gifts and merchandise. Total spending on the holiday was expected to reach $14.7 BILLION.
• The 35 to 44 year old age group spends the most money on the holiday, followed by young adults aged 18 to 24. The 55 to 64 year old age group spends the least money for Valentine's Day.
• Lastly, and not surprisingly, men spend nearly TWICE the amount of money celebrating the holiday than women do.