Valentine’s Day: A Historical and Biblical Examination of Its Pagan Roots

1. Historical Origins: The Festival of Lupercalia

Long before the emergence of St. Valentine’s feast day, ancient Rome observed Lupercalia, a pagan fertility festival held annually from February 13–15. Our knowledge of Lupercalia comes from classical sources such as Plutarch (Life of Caesar 61; Roman Questions 68), Ovid (Fasti 2.267–452), and Livy (History of Rome 1.5).

Lupercalia honored Lupercus (often associated with Faunus, the Roman equivalent of Pan), a deity connected with fertility, agriculture, and protection of livestock. The ritual involved:

• The sacrifice of goats and a dog.

• The cutting of goat skins into strips (februa).

• Young men (the Luperci) running through Rome striking women with the strips, an act believed to promote fertility and ease childbirth.

Ovid explicitly connects the ritual to fertility symbolism (Fasti, Book II). The festival was deeply embedded in Roman religious life and persisted even into the late Roman Republic and early Empire.

The month of February itself derives from februare, meaning “to purify,” reflecting purification rites associated with the festival (Varro, De Lingua Latina 6.34).

2. Christian Replacement of Pagan Festivals

By the late 5th century AD, Christianity had become the dominant religion of the Roman Empire. In 494 AD, Pope Gelasius I officially suppressed Lupercalia (Gelasius, Letter to Andromachus). Around the same period, February 14 was designated as the feast of St. Valentine.

The precise identity of St. Valentine is historically uncertain. The Acta Sanctorum and early martyrologies mention multiple martyrs named Valentine. Later medieval legends portray Valentine as a priest who secretly performed marriages contrary to imperial decree (Butler, Lives of the Saints, Vol. I).

Importantly, there is no early historical evidence connecting St. Valentine with romantic love. The romantic association appears much later, particularly in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Parliament of Fowls (c. 1382), where he links February 14 with birds choosing their mates.

Thus, while the catholic church may have intended to Christianize the date, historical continuity suggests that the timing was not accidental. Replacing pagan festivals with Christian feast days was a common ecclesiastical strategy in late antiquity (MacMullen, Christianizing the Roman Empire, 1984).

3. Medieval Romanticization and Commercialization

By the 14th and 15th centuries, Valentine’s Day became associated with courtly love in England and France. By the 18th century, the exchange of love notes became common, eventually leading to mass-produced Valentine cards in the 19th century.

The modern holiday—with its emphasis on romance, sensuality, and commercial exchange—owes more to medieval literature and modern capitalism than to Christian martyrdom.

4. Biblical Evaluation

While Scripture does not mention Valentine’s Day specifically, it does provide principles concerning pagan practices and syncretism.

4.1. Separation from Pagan Worship

Deuteronomy 12:30–31 warns:

“Take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them… 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.”

The principle here is not merely avoiding idol worship but avoiding adopting pagan customs and rebranding them as worship of the true God.

Similarly, Jeremiah 10:2 instructs:

“Thus says the LORD: Do not learn the way of the Gentiles.”

4.2. Fellowship with Darkness

The Apostle Paul writes:

“What fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14)

While cultural practices may evolve, the question remains whether believers should participate in traditions whose foundations are rooted in pagan fertility rites.

4.3. Christian Liberty and Conscience

Some may appeal to Christian liberty (Romans 14:5–6). Indeed, Paul allows for differences in the observance of days, provided they are done unto the Lord. However, this liberty must be balanced with the call to avoid idolatry (1 Corinthians 10:14) and not participate in practices that may blur spiritual distinctions.

Paul warns in 1 Corinthians 10:20:

“The things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons.”

Though Valentine’s Day today does not include overt sacrifice, its historical origins lie in ritual practices dedicated to pagan deities.

5. Theological Considerations for Believers

Christians must carefully consider:

1. Origin – The date is historically connected to a Roman fertility festival.

2. Transformation – The catholic church appears to have replaced rather than eliminated the pagan observance.

3. Modern Expression – The contemporary celebration often emphasizes romantic sensuality rather than biblical covenant love.

Biblical love (agape) differs fundamentally from cultural romanticism. Scripture defines love in terms of covenant faithfulness, sacrifice, and holiness (1 Corinthians 13), not erotic symbolism rooted in fertility rites.

Conclusion

Historical evidence strongly indicates that Valentine’s Day is not originally a Christian celebration but one with roots in Roman pagan fertility rituals, later reinterpreted and eventually commercialized. While modern observance may seem harmless, believers are called to exercise discernment.

As Paul exhorts:

“Test all things; hold fast what is good.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21)

Christians should thoughtfully evaluate whether participation in Valentine’s Day aligns with biblical principles of separation from paganism, holiness, and true covenant love.

Selected References

• Butler, A. (1756). The Lives of the Saints.

• Gelasius I. Letter to Andromachus (494 AD).

• Livy. Ab Urbe Condita.

• MacMullen, R. (1984). Christianizing the Roman Empire (A.D. 100–400).

• Ovid. Fasti, Book II.

• Plutarch. Roman Questions; Life of Caesar.

• Varro. De Lingua Latina.