Valentine's Day, a pagan celebration.

As we all know, Valentine's Day is a one day celebration where you can celebrate it with your loved ones. Typically, couples would celebrate it. The celebration is even being commercialized and is thought of as a 'special' celebration for the lovey-dovey couples out there. But why do you need a 'special' day to show your love to your loved ones? Whether its your friends, family, bf/gf, husband/wife... Isn't everyday about love and we should show our love towards them? Maybe some of you are against the idea of Valentine's Day and maybe some of you are excited to celebrate it with your loved ones. But what Valentine's Day is actually? Is it really a celebration of 'love' that we have perceived all this while?

What is the history behind Valentine's Day? From what I have read, Valentine's Day is a pagan festival where it is a combination of two festivals which are St. Valentine's Day and Lupercalia which is the pagan festival also in honor of the Roman god Lupercus who was considered the god of fertility. Until today, many have thought that Valentine's Day is a Christian celebration. No, it is not. It is not even biblical.The celebration was practiced by the pagan Romans long before Christ and also before Christianity was legalized and dominated Rome. Before Christianity was legalized there, people in Rome will have to face persecution for whomever embraced Christianity. The ancient Romans are known for their worshiping of the Roman ancient gods and goddesses. Lupercus was one of the ancient Roman gods. Even after embracing Christianity, the former-pagan Romans still kept their pagan tradition and celebrated Valentine's Day in honour of St. Valentine and Lupercus. It is even celebrated in churches during those times- which is bad and contradicts to the teachings in the bible.

In conclusion, Valentine's Day is a pagan Roman celebration and it is NOT a Christian celebration. It does not even have a biblical basis. I don't even know why it needs to be in our calendar. However, as a Christian myself who once thought Valentine's Day is somewhat a harmless celebration and has no contradictions to the bible, I thank God that I have found few articles regarding this matter. But off course, regarding the lovey-dovey aspects of Valentine's Day, you don't really need a special day to celebrate it with your loved ones do you?

From the bible:

"When the Lord your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, 'HOW DID THESE NATIONS SERVE THEIR GODS? I ALSO WILL DO LIKEWISE.' "

"You shall NOT worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods . . . " (Deuteronomy 12:29-31)

Note that the issue in this passage is NOT the worship of other gods. The warning is to not adopt CUSTOMS used to worship or honor other gods in order to serve and worship the true God.

Valentine's day and its symbols are rooted in the worship of false gods and has no Biblical basis. Those who celebrate Valentine's Day and consider themselves believers in the God of the Bible need to take a prayerful look at no longer observing the holiday.

Another passage from the bible:

"You shall have no other gods before me." - Deutronomy 5 : 7

"Do not have any other gods before me." - Exodus 20: 3

More about why Valentine's Day contradicts to the bible's teaching:

1. February 14 was an old celebration to Juno Februata, the Roman goddess of sexual passion.

2. It included pairing adolescents by chance drawings for casual sex and going steady.

3. February 15 was the pagan feast of Lupercalia, celebrated in Rome long before Christ.

4. The pagan feast day Lupercalia was a fertility rite and celebration of superstitious Romans.

5. Lupercus, the Roman god after which the holiday is named, was the pagan god of fertility.

6. Cupid, an essential part of Valentine’s Day lore and customs, was the Roman god of love.

7. Lupercalia customs included casual sex, going steady, and marriage based on mere chance.

8. Saint Valentine, of which there are seven, was only a saint in Rome’s opinion, not God’s.

9. In 494 AD, the Pope whitewashed Juno Februata and Lupercalia as Saint Valentine’s Day.

10. Our Lord commanded us to come out of Roman religion and reject her sins (Revelation 18:4).

11. Our God commanded us to come out of false religion and not even touch it (2 Corinthians 6:14-17).

12. Christians have no agreement with winged red devils that shoot arrows of lust into hearts.

13. It honors infatuation and lust: both are contrary to Christian love (1 Corinthians 13:4-7; Ephesians 5:25).

14. Only lust occurs by fiery darts in the heart; love is the conscious choice to serve another.

15. Christians marry only in the Lord, and they are very sober about love (1 Corinthians 7:39; 11:11).

16. We wish to make a statement against the fornication and lasciviousness of this generation.

17. Love is of God, while lust is of man; therefore we will only celebrate love Scripturally.

18. It is highly esteemed among men, so it must be an abomination to God (Luke 16:15).

19. We are totally committed against spiritual adultery by worldly associations (James 4:4).

20. God condemns customs of other gods to be an abomination to Him (Ezekiel 8:1-18).

Sources:

http://www.biblestudy.org/basicart/what-is-true-origin-of-valentines-day.html

http://testallthings.blogspot.com/2007/09/christians-should-not-celebrate.html