Q. Is Valentines Day just another pagan practice? Is it a VALID Christian holiday we should keep? A. The concept of Valentine's day love began in Roman paganism. The Roman church blended the lives of at least three "Saint Valentines" to form one legend. By embracing features of pagan gods and goddesses, the composite Valentine became the patron saint of lovers. February 14th was his day, and was a Roman Catholic feast day until 1969 when it was dropped from the church calendar. Valentine cards go back to the fifteenth century; commercial ones were first printed in the 1840s. Many incorporate words which began with a legend saying Valentinus signed a note "From your Valentine." Cupid, portrayed on Valentine cards as a cute chubby cherub, was the Greek god Eros, who is said to have impregnated several goddesses and mortals. Xs, representing kisses on letters, began with a medieval practice in which illiterates marked documents with an X, then kissed the X to show sincerity. Yes, Valentine's day is just another pagan festival, and is an abomination to the true God of love. | 