51�Թ������ܿƴ�

The origins of Valentine’s Day are pretty obscure. While scholars generally agree that the holiday was popularized in the 1840s in the U.K. and U.S., the specific historical roots of the celebration remain ambiguous. Some say it began with the Roman pagan festival Lupercalia, a fertility festival from February 13-15 involving animal sacrifice, ritualized sex play, and general debauchery. Others point to Roman emperor Claudius II’s execution of several men named Valentine on February 14, one of whom later became a martyr in the Christian faith. Fast forward several centuries and the holiday shows up again in the Middle Ages, with Chaucer’s poem “Parliament of Fowls” (referring to the mating pattern of birds in early spring), and later in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, which alludes to lucky lovers meeting on St. Valentine’s Day. But how do a pagan fertility festival, a Christian martyr, and English poetry connect with this now ubiquitous, commercialized celebration of love?

Jolene Sliwka was searching through a thrift store for vintage t-shirts and used records 35 years ago when she picked up a “scratch off and sniff” Valentine’s Day card and added it to her haul.

What is love? Scientists explain it in terms of the body’s release of adrenaline, dopamine and serotonin; cynics refute its existence by citing ancient philosophy. The Greeks had six words to describe it, whereas Merriam Webster offers a simple definition. More recently, a Hallmark card asserted that love is when you find “the sprinkled donut in a sea of glazed.”

The month of February comes again, and the crowds come again about whether Indonesians should celebrate the so-called "Valentine's Day". Regardless of the choice of dear readers, let's look at a number of facts about this world-wide Western tradition.

Pets, spouses, co-workers, friends, classmates: They’re all in line to be on the receiving end of another record year for Valentine’s Day spending, says a new survey by the National Retail Federation.

Today is Valentine's Day, and while you may be celebrating with flowers and chocolates, we want to give you a little history lesson. Joining us with more is Elizabeth Nelson is a 19th-century pop culture expert and author who for 30 years has been studying the marketing surrounding holidays. She's available to help separate facts about the effects of advertising, consumerism, and social media on the evolution of Valentine's Day from fiction about love's golden age.

BYU Radio/ Top of Mind with Julie Rose interviews Elizabeth Nelson, PhD, 51�Թ������ܿƴ� Pop Culture Expert and Author. Parents across the country are in Valentine’s Day scramble-mode, rounding up enough treats and cards for all their kids’ classmates. Holidays are such work for parents. And expensive too–the National Retail Federation says Americans who celebrate Valentine’s this year plan to spend nearly $200 on average. That includes gifts for a special someone, but also kids, friends, family members, co-workers and pets. Valentine’s Day, above all, is a triumph of marketing.

From candy canes to mulled wine, Christmas is a chance to indulge in certain taste traditions. You might prepare these holiday treats near the sparkly lights of your tree, or you might enjoy them under the neon lights of the Strip. We talked about holiday food traditions from cultures around the world, as celebrated right here in 51�Թ������App.