Five questions about Valentine’s Day – Quick Quiz answers

By Kay McMahon, 31 January 2011

We asked you five quick trivia questions about Valentine’s Day. Here are the answers:

1. Which Pope, in 1969, deleted St Valentine’s Day from the Roman calendar of saints?
   Paul VI. The reason given was: “Though the memorial of Saint Valentine is ancient, it is left to particular [ie local or national] calendars, since, apart from his name, nothing is known of Saint Valentine except that he was buried on the Via Flaminia on 14 February.”
2. The rhyme “Roses are red, violets are blue” can be traced back to which century?
   The 16th century – specifically, Sir Edmund Spenser’s epic poem The Faerie Queene.
3. In the USA, what profession of people currently receive the most Valentine cards? (Allegedly)
   Teachers. Primary school pupils often make cards as a class activity, many of which get sent to their class teacher or to other favourite teachers.
4. In what year did Frank Sinatra release “My Funny Valentine”?
   1955, on his album Songs For Young Lovers. But it was first performed by Mitzi Green in 1937 as part of the Broadway musical Babes in Arms by Rodgers and Hart. Elvis Costello performed a cover version as the B side of “Oliver’s Army”.
5. What is the Welsh equivalent of St Valentine’s Day?
   St Dwynwen’s Day (Dydd Santes Dwynwen), which falls on 25 January.

How did you get on? Why not let us know?