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WHAT'S NEW
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Valentine's Day quiz
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Do you think you know all about Feb. 14? Test your knowledge and learn about the history of the day with a fun Valentine's Day quiz devoted to love and the day of lovers.
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By Vickie Reichardt
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1. b) Valentine's Day began as the love and fertility festival Lupercalia in 496 A.D. It was established by Pope Gelsius and was celebrated on February 15. It wasn't until the 16th century that King Henry VIII declared Valentine's Day, February 14, an official holiday.
2. b) When Cupid, the Roman god of love, took aim, he could shoot one of two types of arrow: a golden arrow which would render its victim lovestruck, or a leaden arrow which would infuse the victim with sexual passion.
3. d) According to the Greeting Card Association, Americans send 1 billion cards each Feb. 14...but the remarkable figure also takes into account all the boxed cards exchanged in school classrooms.
4. a) Recent studies have shown that dark chocolate contains flavanoids and antioxidants, which can improve heart health, protect arteries from plaque build-up and relax blood vessels.
5. c) Scientists discovered an ancient love poem carved into clay tablets and estimate that it was written by a Sumerian around 2030 B.C. as part of an ancient festival called Sacred Marriage.
6. d) First reported in Hong Kong, the destructive "ILOVEYOU" computer virus quickly spread around the globe via email and IRC (Internet Relay Chat). Approximately 3.1 million computers were affected.
7. a) It may seem hard to believe, but one can find roses in every colour of the rainbow except true black and blue. The "black" roses occasionally found are, in fact, just a very, very deep red colour that resembles black.
8. c) Lettuce is considered an anaphrodisiac, which actually decreases sexual potency and desire. Other anaphrodisiacs include dill, watercress and lentil.
9. b) Although a number of theories abound, the most popular one is that, historically, an "X" was used in lieu of signing one's name by those who could not read or write. In order to prove his or her word, the signatory would then kiss the X as a sign of good faith.
10. d) On July 7, 2005, James Belshaw and his girlfriend, Sophia Serenin locked lips for a whopping 31 hours and 30 minutes, surpassing the previous record by almost an hour.
Tired of the commercial and expendable nature of this holiday? Check out free, lasting Valentine's Day gifts.
Visit our Valentine's Day special section for recipes, relationship advice, gift ideas, fun e-cards and more.
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