How has Valentine’s Day come to $18.6 billion? A day that was originally spent as sentimental time with a loved one has gradually moved closer and closer to the expectation of the most expensive gift.

Being the biggest event following Christmas shopping, consumers look forward to the next wave of buyers sliding their credit cards. More than $4 billion will be spent on jewelry alone ranging from Cartier to Tiffany’s to department stores such as Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s.

Sales occur up until the day of, trying to attract the husband who forgot to buy his wife a gift at the very last minute.

Rooms are filled with expensive roses or orchids surrounded by chocolate bunnies and teddy bears.

According to www.forbes.com, for this Valentines Day, in approximation, the following numbers depict what brings this holiday to the whopping $18.6 billion:

• 1,115 – number of United States chocolate and cocoa products manufacturers.
• 35,074 – people employed by those manufacturers.
• 114 – number of manufacturers in Pennsylvania, the second most of any state.
• $8.8 billion – the value of that chocolate manufacturing industry
• $13.5 billion – total value of shipments from chocolate and cocoa products manufacturers.
• 23,379 – number of United States jewelry stores recorded in 2010.
• $2.66 billion – merchandise sold in stores.
• 1,453 – number of jewelry manufacturers.
• 16,182 – number of florists operating nationwide in 2010
• $880,893,904 – value of imported flowers cut for bouquets in 2011.
• 409 – number of United States manufacturers who make non-chocolate candy.
• 3,745 – number of dating service companies
• $2 billion – value of that industry