Happy Valentine's Day

by

Anthony Valasek

Every year on February 14, people give those that they love or have affections for, a valentine. Flowers, candy, and cards are given out by the tons. This "Christian" holiday supposedly got started in honor of Saint Valentine, who was martyred in the third century. Everywhere you turn, you see hearts and cupid, that cute little naked boy with a bow and arrow. Surely, this is a wholesome, "Christian" holiday. Even Christ said to love one another. At school, the kids stuff their valentines into a box and the teacher then sorts them out. This is truly a harmless holiday, or is it?

Well, if we look at this holiday closely, we will find that it is not as innocent as it is portrayed in cultures today. We need to go back to the days of the Romans to investigate this holiday.

In Rome, there was a festival in honor of the god Lupercus, "a mighty hunter," held on February 15, called Lupercalia. Lupercus was worshipped because he kept the wolves away. Wolves were a menace to society back then and caused people many problems. "Lupa" is the Latin name for wolf. Lupercus can be linked to the Greek god "Pan." Pan was a half-horse, half-man god who is identified with the Centaur who was "the archer." This Centaur can likewise be identified in history as Kronos "father of the gods," or Saturn "the mighty hunter." Finally, Kronos and Saturn can be shown to be none other than Nimrod "the mighty hunter" mentioned in Genesis 10:8-9. Nimrod was the first king of Babylon. Those of you that have read the article I posted on Christmas should recognize that Nimrod is the focus of that holiday under the name of Saturn.

Genesis 10:8-9
And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.

Getting back to Lupercus, this god can also be identified as the "god of fertility." This little fact takes us into most of the valentine customs of today. Before we go any further though, I feel that I should mention another day that is observed in Eastern Orthodox Churches, Epiphany. Epiphany is held on January 6. It is interesting to know that before the beginning of the Common Era, January 6 was the day of the winter solstice. Again, referring to my Christmas study, Nimrod was born this day. What does this have to do with anything? Well Nimrod's mother/wife Semiramus would have been considered "unclean" for 40 days following the birth of her child. Adding 40 days to January 6 gives us February 15.

At that time, Semiramus went through a ceremonial purification called a "Februation," hence the name of the month February. After she received this Februation, Semiramus was now clean and could have sexual relations again. She was now able to "fertilize the world." In honor of that cleansing, all the young men and young women would draw lots (Valentines) out of a box (Valentine box) for the coming feast of Lupercalia. This couple would then out of wedlock "fertilize the world" with their chosen mate for the following year. When the feast rolled around next year, they would choose different mates. This is where all of the innocent "love" of Valentine's day got its origin.

The lots that were cast were often in the shape of hearts. This "sacred heart" was a symbol of Osirus (Nimrod) and Cupid "the god of the heart." These two gods are both Nimrod. The difference is that Osirus was Nimrod worshipped in man-hood, while Cupid was Nimrod worshipped as a child. Cupid's bow and arrow signify that he is the "mighty hunter" Nimrod. Nimrod is often worshipped as a child in his mother's arms in different cultures. Even in the Catholic faith, this is seen in the form of the worship of Mary with Christ in her arms. The "heart" in Chaldee, a precursor to Hebrew is the word Bel. Bel was another god that was worshipped in Babylon. In Apocraphytical writings, there is a story of Bel and the Dragon.

Therefore, as you can see, Valentines Day is nothing but the invention of the early Roman Catholics to change a totally pagan festival into a Christian holiday. There is nothing Christian about it. Even the Catholics took the day off their official calendar in 1969.

Why does this matter to us, if we celebrate it with love as its focus and God at its center? God wants worship, that is true. God however, wants you to worship him in the way he set forth in the Bible, not according to some pagan custom. He gives the Hebrews a strong warning in Deuteronomy 12:4,31.

Deuteronomy 12:31
You must not worship the LORD your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods (NIV).

Notice very carefully that it says to NOT worship YOUR God in THEIR way. In Exodus 32:4, we can see that his very thing happened when Moses went up into the mountain to get the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments on them. Notice again, that they were not worshipping other gods, they were attempted to worship their God, but in the wrong way. They even said that the calf was the god that brought them out of Egypt, they were worshipping our God in a pagan way. What was the result of this false worship? In verses 26 and 27, we find that those that worshipped the calf were killed.

Exodus 32:26-27
Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD's side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.

I pray that each of us comes to the knowledge of the truth and that with God's assistance we are able to overcome the temptation of contributing to this sin against God. It is very difficult to be the one who is different, the one that people make fun of because they do not celebrate such joyous occasions. The Bible assures us though that nothing that we do escapes the eyes of God.