What’s The Origin of Valentines’s Day?
Posted by truthtalklive on 12 February, 2010
A pagan holiday filled with debauchery? A day created to sell a buhzillion roses, boxes of chocolate and greeting cards? And what’s up with that little cupid guy?
Today on Truth Talk Live, the real scoop on Valentine’s Day. Host Alex McFarland, President of Southern Evangelical Seminary and host of his own nationally syndicated radio program “Sound Rezn“, welcomes author and historian William Federer.
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2 Comments on “What’s The Origin of Valentines’s Day?”
It’s both Christian[unless you want to pull that "Catholics aren't actually reeeeal Christians" attitude]AND Pagan in origin, just like Christmas, it just depends on which you would rather place your emphasis on[smile]. It one wishes to observe it as a Christian holiday then observe that it’s named after a Christian Martyr…St. Valentine[You get a choice of three Saints to choose from by this name actually]and was established by Pope Gelasius in 496 A.D. If you want to emphasize the Pagan origins/version of this holiday, then observe that there was once a Pagan Roman holiday named Lipercalia that occurred for several days around this time and that the Catholic Church tried to Christianize it and do away with the Pagan aspects of it….just like with Samhain/Halloween, Yule/Christmas, and Eostre/Easter. And Cupid/Eros is Pagan too.
But really, why nitpick over it? Isn’t life hard and unhappy enough already? Why not enjoy, promote, and embrace whatever holiday increases observance of affection and love?
Happy St. Valentines Day everybody!