Published: Thursday, 14th February, 2008 11:00am

Ten things you didn't know about Valentine's Day

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10 Things You Never Knew About Valentine's Day...

Impress your loved one on Valentine's Day with our top ten list of things you never knew about this romantic occasion.

* Some of St Valentine's remains are interred in a Gorbals church.

* The British public spend £47.2 million each year on Valentine cards.

* Valentine's Day was established in the 5th Century by the Catholic Church as a substitute for a Pagan festival.

* Only Christmas outsells Valentine's Day when it comes to greeting cards.

* Poor old Saint Valentine was beheaded on February 14th, 270 AD under the orders of the Roman Emperor, Claudius.

* The first Valentine card was reputedly sent in 1415 by Charles Duke of Orleans from his prison cell in the Tower of London.

* Cupid, whose image often appears on Valentine cards is the son of Venus, the Roman god of love and beauty.

* Before the introduction of mass produced greeting cards in the 19th Century, handwritten notes were traditionally sent on Valentine's Day.

* The US Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately 1 billion Valentine cards are sent each year, with the majority being purchased by women.

* The first mass produced Valentine cards were introduced in 1847 by an Esther Howland of Massachusetts.