Valentine's Day Questions and Answers
1. Who was the legendary Benedictine monk who invented champagne? Dom Perignon.
2. Which was Shakespeare’s most romantic play? Romeo and Juliet.
3. What kind of flowers are traditionally given to symbolise love? Red roses.
4. What other gift sometimes accompanies a bouquet of red roses? Chocolates.
5. What was first created by Pope Gelasius in 500 AD, then deleted from the Roman Calendar of Saints by Pope Paul Vl in 1969? St Valentine’s Day
6. "Valentine" was the name given to which kind of early Christian? Martyrs.
7. What day is Valentine’s Day held on? February 14th
8. According to the Legenda Aurea, or The Golden Legend, a fictional work written by Jacobus de Voragine around 1260 AD, who wrote the very first Valentine’s message on the eve of his execution? St Valentine.
9. Who did the fictional St Valentine send his message to? The daughter of his jailer.
10. What had St Valentine allegedly done for his jailer’s daughter? Cured her blindness.
11. What was this fictional St Valentine being executed for? Performing marriages in secret, against the wishes of the emperor.
12. As well as being the unofficial patron saint of love, what occupation is St Valentine also believed to be the patron of? Bee keepers.
13. The British Museum holds a letter believed to be the oldest valentine still in existence. Who wrote it? Charles d’Orléans, captured by the English at Agincourt, and then kept prisoner for the next twenty-five years. He passed his time writing sorrowful poetry, including the St. Valentine’s Day letter that describes his sadness at being parted from his love.
14. Today we associate love with the heart, but this wasn’t always the case. In medieval times, which internal organ was believed to cause love? The liver.
15. In the 18th century, sailors used to give their wives and girlfriends a "busk valentine." What was this? A Piece of carved whalebone or driftwood, which they'd wear to stiffen their corsets.
16. Which Roman god was either depicted as a plump cherub with a bow and arrow, or as a handsome teenager? Cupid.
17. Which Roman goddess was Cupid’s mother? Venus.
18. Jealous of Psyche’s beauty, Venus asked Cupid to make Psyche fall in love with some mean and horrible men, but her plan backfired. What happened instead? Cupid and Psyche fell in love with each other.
19. A poem called The Parliament of Fowls, which describes a man’s dream of Cupid preparing his arrows in the Temple of Venus, is usually held to be the first cultural link between St Valentine and romance. Who wrote the poem? Geoffrey Chaucer.
20. In Japan, what do women give men on Valentine’s Day? Chocolates.
21. What is a Vinegar Valentine? A spoof or sarcastic parody of a real Valentine’s message.
22. If you’re quick to show your feelings, where do you wear your heart? On your sleeve.
23. Which Shakespeare play features Valentine and Proteus? The Two Gentlemen of Verona.
24. What is the approximate date of the first Valentine ever sent? 1415.
25. Who led the Chicago gangsters behind the St Valentine's Day Massacre in 1929? Al Capone.
26. Which symbol does New York’s Empire State Building illuminate on every Valentine’s Day? A heart.
27. Who played the title role in the film Shirley Valentine? Pauline Collins.
28. Which singer had a Top Ten hit, in 1961, with Cupid? Sam Cooke.
29. Which Scottish poet wrote A Red, Red Rose? Robbie Burns.
30. What was the name of the small heart-shaped sweets, manufactured by Swizzel, which had short romantic messages printed on them? Love Hearts.
