I don't want to sound like a nerd over here, but there's sound business behind all these special days of ours - valentine's, fathers day, mothers day, brothers day, sisters day, friends day, and what not! Esther Howland, the woman who produced the first commercial American valentines in the 1840s, sold a then mind-boggling $5,000 in cards during her first year of business. The valentine industry in the United States has been booming ever since. Today, over 1 billion valentine cards are sent in this country each year -- second in number only to Christmas cards, according to the Greeting Card Association. Around 85 percent of all valentines are purchased by women. In addition to cards, there are millions of boxes of chocolates and bouquets of roses purchased (mostly by men) for the February 14 holiday. When did the Valentine's Day frenzy begin? Scholars tell slightly different versions of the history of this popular holiday. To know more, click here