What Valentine's Day is Really All About

By -
Tomorrow is Valentine's Day but do we really know the real meaning and ugly history behind Valentine's Day? If you do some historical study - there was a Christian martyr who is prayed to by the Roman Catholic institution known as Valentine. The very story of Valentine's Day is anything but romantic. It's when a Christian bishop or pastor during the reign of Emperor Claudius II - a monarch outlawed marriage for his soldiers. He was one who opposed the ridiculous rule of Claudius II and was eventually beheaded after several tortures. He refused to recant his Christian faith, preached in prison and performed marriages even when the emperor didn't allow it!

The interesting note is that there is the Roman orgy festival known as Lupercalia which is said to be celebrated on February 15. So it was possible that Valentine's martyrdom was arranged in such a day to appease the gods involved with the satanic festival. The term "Your Valentine" was probably because Valentine had fallen in love with a woman. He penned his final letter and probably to other Christians who suffered during the reign of Emperor Claudius. The very death of Valentine was a testimony of selfless love as written in 1 Corinthians 13. He probably quoted it when he wrote his final letter telling people what real love is all about.

The real problem of today's Valentine's Day is that it doesn't really reflect on the love that Valentine showed during his day. Today, the day has reverted back to becoming a new form of Lupercalia when people would get worried about not having dates on that day. People would check into hotels and there would be a rise of out-of-wedlock pregnancies as well as a widespread of sexually transmitted diseases. These would be what Valentine was going against in his day in sexually immoral Rome. Reading the sexual immorality in the days of Ancient Rome should make you vomit such as the common practice of homosexuality, bestiality and incestuous unions (such as between uncle and niece or cousins was widely done). Valentine was martyred for upholding sexual purity yet people celebrate his martyrdom with sexually immoral practices.

This Valentine's Day would be a good time to reflect on what is real love? The Apostle Paul wrote it in 1 Corinthians 13. Valentine's martyrdom would mean nothing if it wasn't for love. He fought for the right of soldiers to get married because he believed in love. So why are Roman Catholics celebrating his feast day if their priests and nuns are demanded an unjust celibate lifestyle and end up getting caught in several acts of sexual immorality more often than not? Valentine would have that famous love chapter in mind. True love is patient, kind, not envious, humble, selfish, forgiving, trusting and persevering. It was that kind of love that made Valentine to do what he did. So why are people today dishonoring his martyrdom by materialism and sexual immorality?

See also: