We know lots of chocolate, flowers and other gifts are purchased for Valentine’s Day, but did you know that this year, Americans will spend $19.7 billion on gifts? That’s the number the National Retail Federation has estimated and it’s a record.
Forbes reports that spending for Valentine’ Day surpasses that spent for Super Bowl Sunday, which was $15 billion.
Where are all these billions going?
Here’s a look at an infograph, published by Forbes, showcasing how Americans spend their money for Valentine’s Day.
“The average man will spend $133.61 on gifts this year compared to $62.14 for women. It’s a well known fact that Americans love their pets and people across the nation will spend an average of $26.24 on gifts for their four-legged friends,” reports Forbes.
Despite the huge number the National Retail Federation expects people will spend on Valentine’s, one of the most popular Valentine’s gift is a greeting card.
History.com says evidence of the use of Valentine’s cards can be seen as far back as the Middle Ages and the oldest known Valentine was written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London.
“Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began selling the first mass-produced valentines in America. Howland, known as the ‘Mother of the Valentine,’ made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as ‘scrap.’ Today, according to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year, making Valentine’s Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year,” reports history.com.
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