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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, 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ 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 Las Vegas.