The red heart of cupid and its hidden root that you need to know about the so-called “Love/lovers” day
Why We Are Skipping Valentine’s Day Forever
Walk into any grocery store this week and you’ll be met with a sea of crimson. Red roses, heart-shaped boxes of fancy chocolate, and aisles of cards promising eternal devotion. As your Elder, I’m often asked, “Elder Dan, what’s the harm? It’s just a day to show some love!”
I get it. In a world that feels increasingly cold, a day dedicated to “love” sounds like something the Church should get behind. But if we peel back the layers of lace and cellophane, we find something far more complex—and frankly, far more dark—than a greeting card would have you believe.
While the world calls it a “Love Day” (or at least acts like it), we need to call it for what it is: a man-made tradition with roots that are anything but love.
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A History Painted in Red
We’ve been told the sanitized story of St. Valentine, the Roman priest who performed secret marriages. But history tells a grittier tale. Before the Church tried to “Christianize” the date in the 5th century, February 14th and 15th belonged to Lupercalia.
Lupercalia wasn’t about candlelit dinners; it was a pagan fertility festival. It involved animal sacrifice and rituals that were, quite literally, anti-love and pro-violence. Men would run through the streets striking women with thongs made from goat skin, believing it would grant them fertility.
The Church eventually slapped a supposed saint’s name on the calendar to redirect the pagan festivities, but rebranding a weed doesn’t make it a rose. Deuteronomy 12:31 gives us a stern warning about adopting the ways of the cultures around us to worship Yahweh:
“You must not worship Yahweh your Elohim in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things Yahweh hates.”
The “Love” Rebrand
Today, we’ve scrubbed the goat skins away and replaced them with Cupid—who, let’s remember, is the son of Venus and Mars in Roman mythology. People have turned “love” into a commercialized, shallow feeling.
Subtly rebranding a pagan ritual as a “Day of Love” cannot forever hide its ancient roots. When we participate in this man-made festivity, we are often following the world’s rhythm rather than the Holy Spirit’s. We are told in Romans 12:2:
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
If the “pattern” of Valentine’s Day is rooted in ancient superstition and modern consumerism, why are many so eager to squeeze the Gospel into it?
Real Love Doesn’t Need a Calendar
The biggest irony is that the “love” celebrated on February 14th is often conditional, fleeting, and high-pressure. It’s an anti-love rhetoric wrapped in a bow—a day that makes the single person feel lonely and the married ones feel inadequate if they don’t spend enough money.
Meanwhile, biblical love—Agape—doesn’t wait for a man-made, pagan anniversary! It’s a sacrificial, daily choice!
- 1 Corinthians 13 tells us love is patient and kind.
- 1 John 4:19 reminds us we love because He (Yahweh) first loved us.
We don’t need a man-made holiday to remind us to cherish our spouses or our love ones. In fact, when we lean on these secular “holidays,” we risk cheapening the wholistic, 365-day-a-year love that Messiah Yahshua commanded us to show.
Choosing Truth Over Tradition
Folks, I’m not saying you’re a villain if you buy your wife flowers and chocolates this week. But I am asking you to look at the “why.” Are we following the crowd, or are we seeking the truth?
We are called to be a set-apart people. Let’s stop trying to “redeem” holidays that were never meant for Yahweh in the first place. Let’s celebrate the love of Yahshua the Messiah every morning, without the need for ancient Roman baggage or a corporate mandate.
That’s it for today, folks. Stay grounded in the Word, not the world. I’m Elder Dan, signing off. I’ll see you next time, Yahweh willing.
Friends, if you’d like to continue this conversation or share your thoughts on this topic, leave a comment below or reach out to me directly. You are also welcome to peruse our previous podcast episodes on this website and visit our sister website by clicking here to read and learn more genuine truths from the Bible.
Brethren, before I go, let me pray this prayer for you: May Yahweh bless you and keep you; may Yahweh make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; may Yahweh lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. I humbly pray all these things to Yahweh through Yahshua the Messiah, our Master and coming King, amen. Kindly keep praying for the shalom of Israel. Take care. Halleluyah!
