Valentine's Day, Mardi Gras, and Why Cartoons Have Four Fingers

A brief history of Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is an annual holiday celebrated Feb. 14, associated with love and romantic relationships. Although the holiday was originally a Christian feast in honor of Saint Valentine, its actual namesake remains unclear. Some argue that the holiday was a Christian version of the Roman holiday of Lupercalia, but historians have cast doubt on that claim.
 

The modern form of the holiday, as a celebration of romantic love and an opportunity to find love, is believed to have been inspired by a 14th-century poem by Geoffrey Chaucer. The holiday grew in popularity during the 19th century, especially in England and the United States, largely due to the nascent greeting card industry. (See a collection of cards from the past century.)
 

Today, the holiday is celebrated in various forms (and by various names) around the world. In the US, the holiday is particularly popular, with the average American spending $189 on it in 2025.

... Explore everything else we learned about Valentine's Day.

Also, check out ... 

> Candy conversation hearts were originally message-free medical lozenges. (Read)

> In Victorian England, "vinegar valentines" mocked their recipients. (Read)

> Colombia exported 35,000 tons of greens for Valentine's Day in 2025, endangering a fragile ecosystem. (Read)

> Cupid's cherubic qualities were played up to appeal to a younger demographic. (Read)

Mardi Gras, 101

Mardi Gras is a celebration that traditionally takes place the day before the Christian Lenten season, a 40-day period between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. Although Mardi Gras began as a Catholic holiday—and is especially popular in places with large Roman Catholic populations—it's now a secular event with its own unique culture and customs.
 

In New Orleans, which popularized the secular Mardi Gras, festivities take place through the weekslong Carnival season of January and February. Free parades are organized by various autonomous groups, called krewes, and take place throughout the city, featuring elaborate floats, ornate costumes, and other assorted revelry.
 

Although New Orleans Mardi Gras is the most popular American form of the holiday, Carnival takes place elsewhere in the world, with large annual celebrations in places like Rio de Janeiro and Venice, each with its own unique take on the tradition. (See a list of celebrations from around the globe.)

... Explore everything else we learned about Mardi Gras.

Also, check out ... 

> Mardi Gras revelers on floats are legally required to wear masks. (Read)

> The holiday has inspired several songs, including one that's become an unofficial anthem. (Listen)

> King cake is a classic Mardi Gras dessert. (Read)

> The celebration has an annual economic impact of nearly $900M. (Listen)

An introduction to the NHL

The National Hockey League is the highest-level professional hockey league in North America and one of the Big Four American sports, along with the MLB, NBA, and NFL. The league consists of 32 teams, seven of which are in Canada, split evenly between two conferences. (See a list of the league's greatest rivalries.)
 

The NHL's Stanley Cup is the oldest and most prestigious championship trophy in North American sports. It is reused every year and is the only pro sports trophy to have the names of every winning player, coach, and general manager etched on. Every 13 years, a ring of the cup is retired to the Hockey Hall of Fame. (See what it would look like with every ring.)

The NHL has paused its season to allow players to compete in the 2026 Olympics, the first time it has done so since 2014. This year, 148 of the league's players will suit up for their respective countries.

... Explore everything else we learned about the NHL.

Also, check out ... 

> After World War II, the league only had six teams, but they defined what many now consider the NHL's golden age. (Watch)

> The 1919 Spanish flu sidelined nearly all of the players in that year's Stanley Cup. (Read)

> The league mandated helmets for new players in 1979, but several veterans were permitted to continue playing without them. (Read)

> One NHL team tosses salmon to its fans. (Read)

Cultural Context

Beyond our weekly deep dives, we love finding great takes on the culture currently shaping our lives. Here are some of the best reactions, profiles, and think pieces we encountered this week.

> The Story of American Television

WSJ | Alan Sepinwall. By 1955, 65% of American households owned a television set, kicking off a national fascination with a new American form: the television series. Sepinwall selects a defining show for each decade, from the 1950s through the 2020s, allowing you to trace the evolution of the medium. (Read)

> It's a Vogue Eat Dogue World

Air Mail | Carolina de Armas. Publisher Condé Nast is suing a small, dog-centric magazine, claiming that its parodic name, Dogue, infringes on the company's trademark for Vogue. It's a David versus Goliath story, with a major media corporation going after a one-woman operation. (Read)

> You Should Read Colleen Hoover

Persuasion | Elizabeth Kaye Cook and Melanie Jennings. The "It Ends With Us" author is one of the most successful contemporary writers in American literature; she's also one of the most derided. Cook and Jennings argue that the criticism is mostly unfounded and that literary types should embrace more commercial authors like Hoover. (Read)

> British Food Is Here

Eater | Bettina Makalintal. England isn't exactly known for its cuisine, so it's surprising that so many British-themed eateries are popping up in trendy neighborhoods across the country. Makalintal unpacks the new fascination with meat pies, Scotch eggs, and jacket potatoes. (Read)

> Why So Many Writers Are Athletes

The Atlantic | Bonnie Tsui. Tsui explores the science behind movement's impact on creativity, and unravels a fascinating history of writers—including Virginia Woolf, Louisa May Alcott, and Haruki Murakami—using athletic endeavors in their artistic practices. (Read)

Best of the Week

We curate hundreds of resources into 1440 Topics each week. Here are some of our favorites from the world of society and culture.

> Cartoon characters often only have four fingers, which is both a nod to tradition and a way to cut costs.

> Ghost towns are known for being remote, but not so much for having ghosts.

> Kendrick Lamar's breakthrough album is based on his life story.

> "The Republic of Letters" was an analog internet for the Enlightenment.

> Renowned and scorned for his satire, Voltaire lived in exile for 28 years.

> Even medieval teachers sometimes complained about their students.

> Steps away from winning the 1954 Commonwealth Games marathon, Jim Peters collapsed. He never ran again. 

> The first draft of John Steinbeck's classic novel "Of Mice and Men" was torn to shreds by his dog. 

> Scholars trace existential anxiety back to early Hebrew scriptures.

> Psychological horror classic "The Silence of the Lambs" was released 35 years ago today.

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