Valentine’s Day: A Day To Celebrate or Not?

Hmm… I can imagine the sounds of thousands of sighs of relief if we all came together and decided not to celebrate Valentine’s Day anymore. While I do love a box of chocolates from my honey, it seems that EVERY holiday has gotten out of hand and become a big thing for the stores to PROMOTE but where exactly did Valentine’s Day come from?

I always believed that it was one of the Saint’s Days to be celebrated for one important reason or another. While it has been associated with some of the Christian saints it also has roots that associate it with Lupercalia, a violent and disturbing Roman celebration that I wouldn’t want anything to do with. It would definitely be frowned upon in today’s world but it seems that it has been coated with chocolate and wrapped with a pretty bow to make it more appealing to everyone.

It seems that many ‘holidays’ have been glamorized to make them seem like something we ‘NEED’ to do when they really aren’t as important as they’ve been made out to be. I do think it is fun to celebrate things but I don’t like the idea of trying to make them seem like they are biblical or Christian if they aren’t. Sheesh… I don’t even know what I’m trying to say anymore but I am really questioning some of the ‘traditions’ that have been passed on to us because of some of the ideas of large companies and such.

I’ve been really researching the Biblical Feasts, Holy Days, and holidays here lately… well, as much as I can in between taking care of the kids, the animals, meals, the house, and my blog. It’s led me to some interesting findings and realizations which I am not going to go into a lot of detail but I do encourage everyone to do their own research and not just rely on what we have always been told.

Many of our traditions and celebrations have been altered from what they were intended to be, pagan holidays have been wrapped up to make them look like more acceptable Christian holidays, and things have been changed from the way God intended them to be… like the Sabbath. Our days and calendars were changed ages ago. This led to holidays being moved, days being added, and then days being removed. No wonder there is so much confusion around when holidays like Christmas should be celebrated. It’s all so sad and scary that these things are just accepted in our world. Maybe we all need to question a lot more things that happen around us?

Here are some links to resources that you can use to research a little more about Valentine’s Day. Some of this information may not be appropriate for younger kids.

Valentine’s Day – Wikipedia
The dark origins of Valentine’s Day – NPR
The Gory Origins of Valentine’s Day – Smithsonian Magazine
The Real History of Valentine’s Day – Country Life
The History of Valentine’s Day, and Why We Celebrate – Real Simple
Valentine’s Day – Britannica
History of Valentine’s Day – History.com

I know that I will use this day to make sure that my family knows how much I love them but I probably won’t be overspending on any of the overpriced chocolates or other gifts that are being promoted right now. I do have a special meal planned for them so that’s maybe all that we will do… who knows?

God’s Valentine Gift

God’s Valentine gift of love to us
Was not a bunch of flowers;
It wasn’t candy, or a book
To while away the hours.

His gift was to become a man,
So He could freely give
His sacrificial love for us,
So you and I could live.

He gave us sweet salvation, and
Instruction, good and true–
To love our friends and enemies
And love our Savior, too.

So as we give our Valentines,
Let’s thank our Lord and King;
The reason we have love to give
Is that He gave everything.

By Joanna Fuchs

I do believe that I will also spend this day reminding my family of how much God loves us. His love is never-ending and perfect. His love is redeeming and it unites us together as His family. His love is undeniable as we see His blessings daily. We can spend this day showing love and praying for each other in special… just as God has commanded us to do.

I have seen where some people choose to celebrate this day as more of a ‘Love Your neighbor kind of day’ and make some special traditions for their family but I’m just not sure what we will be doing right now although the kids do like the idea of drawing names and getting to do something special for one person… I mean everyone loves gifts right?

You Are Often In My Thoughts

Love is a command
That Christians are called to do;
Our Lord says “Love your God,
And love your neighbor, too.”

Some people are easy to love;
They are human rays of sun;
They light up every life,
And encourage everyone.

You are in that group,
So I sincerely want to say:
You are often in my thoughts;
Happy Valentine’s Day!

By Joanna Fuchs

I don’t know why I’ve been led on this journey to research all of these holidays but I do feel like I’ve been living in a bit of a twilight zone all my life now. I’ve got so many questions and thoughts right now about all of these holidays and such and I am not ready to share a lot about them until I feel more confident about where God is leading me and my family on this journey so I don’t want to lead anyone on the wrong path… I saw something a couple of days ago that kind of confirmed that I am on the path God wants for me but my path may not be your path. I strongly encourage everyone to pray about what God wants YOU to do as an individual. With Lent coming up too I have a lot of questions about it as well… I’m just a hot jumbled mess of unanswered questions right now!

Do you have any special traditions for this time of year? What are your views on Valentine’s Day?

God Bless!