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Herman L. Hoeh
 Where did St.
Valentine’s Day come from? You might suppose school teachers and educators
would know. But do they? How many of you were ever taught the real origin of
Valentine’s Day -- were ever told in school exactly why you should observe
the custom of exchanging valentines? Teachers are all too often silent about
the origin of the customs they are forced to teach in today’s schools. If they
were to speak out, many would lose their jobs.
Today, candy makers unload tons
of heart-shaped red boxes for February 14 -- St. Valentine’s Day -- while millions
of the younger set exchange valentines. Florists consider February-14 as one
of their best business days. And young lovers pair off -- at least for a dance or
two -- at St. Valentine’s balls. Why? Where did these customs originate? How did
we come to inherit these customs? Isn’t it time we examined why we encourage
our children to celebrate St. Valentine’s Day?
A Christian Custom?
Many have assumed that the traditional Valentine’s Day
celebration are all in connection with an early Christian martyr by the name of
Valentine. Nothing could be farther from the truth! Notice what one
encyclopedia says about this idea: “St. Valentine’s Day as a lovers’ festival,
the choice of a valentine and the modern development of sending valentine cards
has no relation to the saint or to any incident in his life” (Encyclopedia
Britannica, article “Valentine, Saint”).
Did you
know that centuries before the birth of Jesus, the pagan Romans celebrated
February 15 and evening of February 14 as an idolatrous and sensuous festival
in honor of one called Lupercus, the “hunter of wolves”? The Romans called the
festival the “Lupercalia.” The custom of exchanging valentines and all the other
traditions in honor or Lupercus, the deified hero-hunter of Rome, was linked
anciently with the pagan practice of teenagers “going steady.” It usually led
to fornication.
Today, the custom of going steady is thought very modern
and advanced. It isn’t. It is merely a rebirth of an old custom “handed down
from the Roman festival of the Lupercalia, celebrated in the month of February,
when names of young women were put in a box and drawn out by men as chance
directed.” That’s the admission of the Encyclopedia Americana, article
“St. Valentine’s Day.” The Encyclopedia Britannica also points out that
the custom of exchanging valentines arose from this “name drawing” during the
Lupercalia. The “custom was introduced to England by the “Romans and continued
through the Christian era. In order to adapt the practice to Christianity the
church transferred it to the feast of St. Valentine (article “Greeting Card”).
When Constantine in A.D. 313 made Christianity an official
religion of the Roman Empire, there was some talk in church circles of
discarding this pagan free-for-all. But the Roman citizens wouldn’t hear of it!
So it was agreed that the holiday would continue as it was, except for the more
grossly sensual observances. It was
not until the reign of Pope Gelasius that the holiday became a “Christian”
custom. “As far back as 496, Pope Gelasius changed Lupercalia on February 15 to
St. Valentine’s Day on February 14” (Lavinia Dobler, Customs and Holidays
Around the World, p. 172).
But how did this pagan festival acquire the name of “St.
Valentine’s Day”? And why do little children and young people still cut out
hearts and send them to “sweethearts” on a day in honor of Lupercus, the hunter
of wolves? Why have we supposed these pagan customs, in honor of a false god,
are Christian?
Who was the original “St. Valentine”?
Valentine was a common name. Roman parents often gave the
name to their children in honor or the famous man who was first called
Valentine in antiquity. That famous man was Lupercus, the hunter. But who was Lupercus--and why should he have
also borne the name Valentine among the heathen Romans? The Romans identified Lupercus with the
Greek god Pan (Smith’s Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology,
Vol. II, article “Lupercus”). Pan was an Arcadian god of light. As such he was
equivalent to the Phoenician sun-god Baal--mentioned so often in the Hebrew
Bible--was a title of Nimrod, “the mighty hunter” (Genesis 10:9).
The
Persian author Rashid al Din, in his History of the Franks, mentions
that Nimrod extended his hunting expeditions even to Italy. The Apennine
mountains of Italy also bore the name the Mountains of Nembrod of Mountains of
Nimrod. The hunter Nimrod pursued wolves in the Apennine mountains of Italy and
acquired the title Lupercus, or “wolf hunter.” Valentine’s Day was
originally a day set aside by the pagan Romans in his honor! But why should Nimrod have been called
Valentine by the Romans? And why should the celebration of this day have been
anciently limited to the city of Rome before Pope Gelasius’ time? What part did
the site of ancient Rome play in the life of Nimrod?
Valentine comes from the Latin word Valentinus, a
proper name derived from the word valens, meaning “to be strong,
powerful, mighty.” Any connection with Nimrod? We read in the Bible that Nimrod was “the mighty hunter” (Genesis
10:9). It was a common proverb of ancient time that Nimrod was “the mighty
hunter before the Lord.” Nimrod was their hero--their strong man--their valentine! But why do we associate hearts with a day
set aside in honor of Nimrod--the Baal of the Phoenicians?
The surprising answer is that the ancient Romans acquired
the symbol of the heart from the Babylonians. Nimrod founded Babel. Hes was the
first lord of the Babylonians. In the Chaldean tongue, spoken in Babylonia, the
word for “heart” was bal. The heart--bal--became, because of
similarity in sound, a symbol of Nimrod--the Baal or Lord of the ancient
Babylonians! Later, professing Christians in Constatine’s day associated one of
their martyrs named Valentine with festivities honoring Nimrod--the Valentine
of the heathen. In this way pagan Romans were influenced to “embrace” the
church while still continuing their pagan customs.
Why February 14?
Why should the early Romans have chosen
February 15 and the evening of February 14 to honor Lupercus--the Nimrod of the
Bible? (Remember that days in ancient times began at sunset the evening
before.) Nimrod--the Baal or sun god
of the ancient pagans-- was said to have been born at the winter solstice. In
the 21st century B.C., the winter solstice occurred on January 6. Semiramis I,
who ruled as queen in that century, ordered Nimrod’s birthday to be celebrated
on the day we designate January 6. The Eastern Orthodox churches still commemorate
this particular day, but now call it by the name Christmas instead. Later, as the solstice changed, Julius Caesar
ordered the Roman world to celebrate this birth date on the new date of the
solstice--on December 25 on his reformed calendar. This day was called Brumalia.
today it is labeled Christmas.
It was the
custom of antiquity for the mother of a male child to present herself for
purification on the 40th day after the day of birth. The fortieth day after
January 6--Nimrod’s original birth date--takes us to February 15, the
celebration of which began on the evening of February 14--the Lupercalia of St.
Valentine’s Day. On this day in
February, Semiramis, the mother of Nimrod, was said to have been purified
and to have appeared for the first time in public with her son as the original
“mother and child.” The Roman month February, in fact, derives its name from
the februa, which the Roman priests used in rites celebrated on the
Lupercalia. The februa were thongs from the skins of sacrificial animals
used in rites of purification on the evening of February 14.
This, then, is the origin of Valentine’s Day.
Why should we continue teaching children these pagan
customs, derived from ancient and out-dated pagan sex-and hero-worship? Why
not teach them, instead, what history and the Bible really say?
Dr.
Hoeh's article was reprinted from The Good News Magazine, February,
1985. Ed.
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