I am always amazed when parishioners ask me "Why do pastors oppose St. Valentine's day?" One of the greatest tragedies of our time is when the children of God encounter a truth from Scripture and respond, 'I have never heard that before.' This is a sign of spiritual malnourishment, a lack of preparation in knowing His law. God’s people are called to be vigilant, grounded in His Word, and ready to discern truth from deception. Contrary to popular belief, no one can invent their own way to serve God, conform to the world’s trends, or dismiss inconvenient truths by labeling them 'legalism'—and still walk in the perfect center of His will. The celebration of St. Valentine’s Day is one such area where many have been misled, blending human traditions with godly devotion without questioning their origins.
The origins of what is now known as St. Valentine's Day can be traced back to ancient pagan Rome and early catholic traditions, particularly the pagan festival Lupercalia, which was celebrated from February 13 to 15.
Lupercalia
Lupercalia (a Pagan Festival of Fertility) most likely means 'The Wolf Cave,' named after a site in Rome associated with wolves in ancient tradition. Lupercalia was a festival dedicated to a Roman false god of fertility and also honored figures in Roman tradition associated with wolves. The festival was overseen by pagan priests called Luperci (brothers of the wolves), who conducted sacrifices and ceremonies.
Key Features of Lupercalia:
1. Sacrificial Rites: Priests would sacrifice a goat and a dog at the cave of Lupercal.
2. Whipping: Strips from the slain goat hide, dipped in the sacrificial blood, were used by the Luperci on women (some claim they were coerced to stand before them, others say it was voluntary), while young men ran through the streets whipping other women.
3. Early Christian historians described a pairing of young men and women in which a notable part of the festival involved a matchmaking lottery, where young men would draw names of young women from a jar and then show that card and claim the girl. The men would remain with the young women throughout the festival. These early writers condemned the festival as immoral.
Darker elements of the festival are best left unspoken, as some scholars attribute lascivious behavior and evil concupiscence to it.
Early Christian writers condemned Lupercalia as an immoral festival
Some, like Tertullian, broadly criticized Roman religious festivals for their blood rituals, immorality, and historical associations with human sacrifice.
Cupid (which means 'desire') comes from Roman mythology and was originally depicted as a young man before later being represented as a mischievous child. His arrows symbolized the power to force attraction, and early Christian writers criticized the concept as promoting uncontrolled passion.
As a central figure in St. Valentine's Day, Cupid’s arrows—meant to overpower emotions and compel love—bear a striking resemblance to the time when young men arbitrarily administered rawhide whippings to women during Lupercalia. Both traditions reflect a history of improper attention upon women under the guise of desire and fertility.
The morphing of Lupercalia
Historically, Constantine began to move away from paganism and promoted Christianity as the favored religion of the empire. He allowed for the blending of traditions to ease the transition. Over time, he supported what would later become Roman Catholic Christianity as the dominant form of the faith.
Eventually, Pope Gelasius I spoke out against Lupercalia.
St. Valentine's Day
Pope Gelasius I (492–496 AD) actively spoke against this lingering pagan festival and appears to have encouraged replacing it with the observances of the catholic church. Lupercalia (February 13–15) was easily replaced with the Feast of St. Valentine on February 14. Through these actions, Gelasius helped spur the shift from the old Roman pagan religions to a fully catholic religious calendar.
The exact identity of the Catholic Saint Valentine (the idol of love) of which the new name was attributed is debated.
By the Middle Ages, St. Valentine’s Day became increasingly associated with romantic love, partly due to Chaucer and other poets linking it to courtly love.
Why do pastors oppose St. Valentine's day?
Pastors oppose St. valentines day because it blends pagan influences with Christian ones and these influences are not rooted in godly or biblical teachings. Over time, it evolved into a secularized, commercialized, religious holiday centered on romantic gestures.
Though many use Valentine’s Day to express affection, its origins are rooted in catholic traditions rather than in godliness. The apostle Paul declares, ‘For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ’ (1 Corinthians 3:11 KJV), yet many build on false traditions tied to idolatry and heathen practices. As Ezekiel warned, ‘One built up a wall, and, lo, others daubed it with untempered morter… it shall fall’ (Ezekiel 13:10-11 KJV). God commands, ‘Be you not unequally yoked together with unbelievers… Wherefore come out from among them, and be you separate, saith the Lord’ (2 Corinthians 6:14, 17 KJV). As Galatians 5:9 warns, ‘A little leaven leavens the whole lump.’ For many people in modern society, Valentine’s Day may seem harmless, yet it is built on traditions foreign to biblical faith.
Do not be deceived "through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." As a child of God, you must come out of false worship and build only on the foundation that will last—Jesus the Christ and His teachings. Our precious savior taught, ‘Whosoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock’ (Matthew 7:24 KJV). All other foundations will crumble, but only Christ remains.
The truth is not hidden, but it is often ignored. Now that you have learned the foundation upon which this holiday was built, you have the knowledge to make a Godly decision about it and to help others to do the same thing. Let holiness unto the Lord begin with you!
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