3 Reasons Why You Should Not Celebrate Valentine’s Day

Summary

The episode delves into the contentious topic of whether true, Bible-believing Christians should partake in the celebration of Valentine's Day. Contrary to popular belief, the narrative presents three compelling reasons why adherents should abstain from this widely embraced occasion.

1. Valentine's Day originated from grossly immoral pagan practices: Valentine's Day traces its roots back to the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia, characterized by immoral practices including sacrifices, orgies, and random mating rituals. Despite attempts to Christianize Lupercalia by renaming it St. Valentine's Day, the underlying pagan customs persisted, perpetuating associations with fertility rites and sexual immorality.

2. Celebrating Valentine's Day ignores God's instructions about not following pagan ways: The Bible explicitly warns against adopting pagan customs and practices, emphasizing the importance of adhering to God's commandments and ordinances. Scriptures such as Deuteronomy 12:29-32 and Leviticus 18:1-30 admonish against emulating the rituals and traditions of pagan nations, reinforcing the imperative for believers to uphold divine principles and values.

3. Valentine's Day promotes the wrong kind of love: Valentine's Day promotes a distorted version of love centered around romantic infatuation and materialistic indulgence, rather than the sacrificial, selfless love espoused in Scripture. The episode contends that true love, exemplified by the biblical concept of agape, transcends fleeting gestures and encompasses a lifestyle of service, respect, and compassion toward others.

By scrutinizing the historical origins, biblical admonitions, and ethical implications of Valentine's Day, the episode challenges viewers to reevaluate their participation in this cultural phenomenon. It underscores the need for discernment and fidelity to biblical teachings in navigating contemporary customs and celebrations, urging adherence to a higher standard of love and morality exemplified by Christ's teachings.

In conclusion, the episode presents a thought-provoking examination of Valentine's Day from a biblical perspective, compelling viewers to consider the implications of their participation in light of scriptural principles. It advocates for a conscientious approach to cultural festivities, rooted in a commitment to uphold God's commandments and pursue genuine expressions of love that align with divine standards.

Full Transcript

Should you celebrate Valentine’s Day? Since God is love, most people — including many professing Christians — believe that there’s nothing wrong with expressing their love on Valentine’s Day. In this episode, I will share with you three reasons why true, Bible-believing Christians should not celebrate Valentine’s Day. Let’s discuss.

Valentine’s Day is one of the most popular celebrations in the world. They say it’s all about love. But very few people know the real story of Valentine’s Day. So chances are, you have already planned, or are currently planning, how you are going to celebrate this day on February 14.

But did you know that true Christians don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day? Yes, you heard me right! True Christians are not supposed to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Christ did not teach it. The early disciples did not observe it. And the people of God are not commanded anywhere in the Scriptures to observe and celebrate Valentine’s Day.

So, for sincere truth-seekers like us, who would rather please God than follow what’s popular, it’s time to examine this “romantic” celebration in the light of biblical teachings. Here are three reasons why true, Bible-believing Christians should not celebrate Valentine’s Day:

1. Valentine’s Day originated from grossly immoral pagan practices.

The Romans had a pagan festival called Lupercalia. This was held every year from February 13 to 15 in Rome. This pagan festival has its roots in the third century B.C.E. As a fertility rite, Lupercalia was a bloody feast and it's tainted with orgies and sexual themes.

The festival began with a sacrifice of one or more goats and a dog by priests, which they call the Luperci. After killing the animal sacrifice, the Luperci were led to the altar to have their foreheads touched with the bloody knife. After which, their foreheads were wiped with wool dipped in milk. And by the way, they were required to laugh all throughout the ritual.

After this, they were asked to cut strips or thongs of skin from the animal sacrifice and they would run around the place drunk and naked or nearly-naked, whipping any woman who came near with the strips of skin they cut from the animal. The whipping was a fertility rite and women who were whipped were believed to become fertile. So, women would gladly welcome the lashes and they would even strip their clothes and bare their skin just to receive the whipping.

Another significant part of this festival is the random choosing of a mate. The man would randomly pick the name of a woman from a jar or a hat. They are then paired throughout the duration of the festival. Some of these pairs would stay for a short time, while some would stay longer until the next festival. Others would fall in love and get married.

Lupercalia was initially outlawed as it was deemed to be unchristian. But at the end of the fifth century, since its popularity among the people can no longer be controlled or contained, the Roman Catholic Pope Gelasius I recast or “Christianized” Lupercalia in an effort to win over these pagans into Christianity. So he gave it the Christian name St. Valentine’s Day around A.D. 496, and also moved it to February 14.

But despite the effort to Christianize Lupercalia, the symbols of Valentine’s Day remained similar to the symbols in Lupercalia. Take the example of the colors, red and white. Red represented the blood in the Lupercalia animal sacrifices. White represented the milk that was used to wipe the foreheads of the priests. That was the symbol of the new life, procreation, and fertility. Not to mention the uncontrolled sexual activities and attractions during those days.

But why February 14 and why was it called Valentine’s Day? Good question.

According to popular legend, a certain priest named Valentine [or Valentinus] was imprisoned and beheaded on February 14 in the third century A.D. after defying the orders of Emperor Claudius II by performing marriages secretly with young couples. When he was discovered, he was dragged to jail and tortured. The martyrdom was honored by the Catholic Church together with the celebration of Lupercalia, which was later renamed St. Valentine’s Day.

It was not until much later, however, that the day became definitively associated with love. During the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed that February 14 was the beginning of birds’ mating season, which added to the idea that Valentine’s Day should be a day for romance.

2. Celebrating Valentine’s Day ignores God’s instructions about not following pagan ways.

Here are just two clear biblical instructions against following pagan practices:

Deuteronomy 12:29-32 — When the LORD [YHWH] 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; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.

Leviticus 18:1-30 — Then the LORD [YHWH] spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: I am the LORD your God. According to the doings of the land of Egypt, where you dwelt, you shall not do; and according to the doings of the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you, you shall not do; nor shall you walk in their ordinances. You shall observe My judgments and keep My ordinances, to walk in them…

[God then proceeded to describe each of the sexually immoral conduct they were to avoid which include incest, fornication, adultery, homosexuality, bestiality, etc.]

3. Valentine’s Day promotes the wrong kind of love.

Valentine’s Day encourages romantic infatuation, lust, and immorality rather than true love.

We’ve seen that Valentine’s Day traditions started many centuries ago. It didn’t come from the Bible but from a strange pagan custom focusing on sex and immorality. Ancient pagan Rome did not know nor adhere to Christian moral values or principles, so their ancient pagan beliefs and practices still exist today and are practiced even by many professing Christian believers!

In this present materialistic world, moral issues are ignored or shoved aside — even by some religious leaders — when big money and pleasure is involved. This is the time of year when the sale of flowers, cards, chocolates, gifts for men and women, romantic dinners, sexual paraphernalia, and the occupancy of motels, inns, and “short-time” rooms are at their annual peak!

According to market research firm IBIS World, Valentine’s Day sales reached $18.6 billion in 2017. According to Hallmark, an estimated 145 million Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year, making Valentine’s Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year.

Well, what’s wrong with giving chocolates, flowers, cards or jewelry to your wife on Valentine's Day? What’s wrong with telling a girl that you love her? What’s wrong with taking your loved one to a special dinner? What's wrong with all these things? Isn't it that love is found in scripture and it has been taught in the Bible? Well, yes. The Bible talks about love. But it's the highest form of love that the Bible calls "agape" or godly love. This is not the same as the erotic or romantic love that is being promoted or encouraged on Valentine's Day. Godly love is higher than that.

Godly love and true romance is more than whispering nice words and giving chocolates, cards, flowers, and jewelry. It’s about serving and helping others. It’s about the husband taking care of his wife — providing for her, loving her, helping her in the chores, and waking up early in the morning when she’s not feeling well to make breakfast. It’s about taking out the trash and changing the baby’s diapers. All these things are about serving and helping other people.

Godly love and true romance is also about the wife respecting and submitting to her husband. It’s about making his favorite food and the husband also buying her favorite desserts and all these things. Love is helping together and showing love for each other.

By the way, Christ even talks about loving our enemies. Now, this is something we cannot find on Valentine's Day. True love is an ongoing thing. It’s a daily thing. It’s not just a one-day event that we remember in February. It’s something that we do for others — day in and day out. It does not stop. It continues to grow every single day. Here’s what the Bible says:

Romans 13:8 — Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.

The apostle Paul then goes on to talk about the commandments — against committing adultery, murder, stealing, bearing false witness, coveting, etc. In other words, true love does no harm to others. This is what true, godly love is all about.

The Bottom Line

So, to wrap up, what is really wrong with Valentine’s Day?

1. It originated from grossly immoral pagan practices.
2. It ignores God’s instructions about not following pagan ways.
3. It promotes and encourages the wrong kind of love.

Those are just three reasons why true Christians don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day. Knowing this truth, you are now left with a choice. I hope that you will make the right one.

Until next time, this is Daniel Macaraeg, of BiblicalTruths.TV, reminding you to always be growing, to always be giving, and to always be grateful.