Jordan Smith is a freelance writer, editor, and author with 10 years of experience reporting on health, wellness and news infused with pop culture trends. She’s interested in how history shapes today’s trends, which she explored in a book she authored for students on the origins, and deception, of reality TV. Her work has also appeared in Biography, Self, Peloton, and Runner’s World, among others.
The holiday was preceded by an ancient Roman festival, though two medieval poets and a Catholic pope are credited with its invention.
St. Valentine is thought to be the patron saint of lovers. The truth is more complicated.
The TV show “Parks and Recreation” launched the once-fictional February holiday in 2010.
Among the states with alternate Presidents’ Days, Indiana has long celebrated George Washington and Abraham Lincoln at the end of the year.
The religious origins of the holiday don’t stem from the Bible.
The Roman Empire regularly persecuted Christians like St. Valentine.
Unscripted television has captivated audiences for some 80 years.
The anti-consumerism holiday, made popular by “Seinfeld,” is inspired by one of the show writer’s childhood traditions.