Pagan Holidays not Celebrated?

Question

I don’t celebrate Saint Valentines Day, Saint Patrick’s Day, Easter—not for eggs, and Halloween and Christmas—don’t believe in Santa Clause. But my girlfriend is making a scene over the matter especially today since its V-Day. I think I should break up with her but I love her so much. But I also don’t want to break my religious convictions… I would rather break up. What you think? Keep in mind my religious convictions.

Answer 1

Get her flowers or something. I mean, you'd give her flowers even if it wasn't Valentines Day, right? So why does it matter?

Answer 2

There are a lot a lot of bad things in the world, just watch the news. Holidays give society something to celebrate and be happy about. I don't personally believe in the principles of most holidays, like easter and christmas, but I use them to my advantage to see family and friends in a cheerful manner. I think that you can find a balance between what you believe and having a good time with your girl without giving up your religious convictions.

Answer 3

Well, firstly, if you love her, than this is an issue you should be able to overcome. You should be able to reach a compromise.

Secondly, while many of these holidays have pagan origins, that does not mean they are pagan. They were created when Christians were trying to convert pagans. Who in their right mind would convert when it meant they would have to give up all their festivals? So, Christians created alternate festivals/holidays around the same time as the pagan ones so that people could have an easier choice.

Again though, love should overcome this difference. While I may not agree with you, I respect your beliefs and don't think you need to change. Your girlfriend should respect that, too. Keep in mind that you need to respect her beliefs, too.

Answer 4

For a relationship to work, where there are religious/spiritual differences, you have to comprimise. Do you celebrate Pagan holidays? Solstices and equinoxes? Does she? What's so bad about celebrating a few holidays? It doesn't mean you have to even recognize the meaning of them, they're just a holiday. I don't know, comprimise. Give her flowers or something, but to you, it's not for the holiday, but let it be for her.

Think about it, religion tears people apart, if you really love her, you'll put effort into it, while still keeping your own values, so that it can work.

Answer 5

Basically, I think USA and Canada do not celebrate any public holidays other then those that signify the country, like independence day or Christian related.

All other religions are excluded from public holidays, you are not the only one. By the way, Valentines Day has nothing to do with Christian, not much anyway, it is not a public holiday as well.

I think you should just take it as a day where you show you care to your girlfriend, just don't take it as a special day for other religion. Take it with a pinch of salt.

By the way, I am Buddhist, and I get gifts for my gf during V.Day as well ..... Girls are naturally sensitive. :D

Answer 6

Robert,

I can't express how sad I feel for you. You seem to think GOD would hold you as a sinner for breaking your convictions so not to be part of your communities activities or events. What do you do when your religious gathering holds egg hunts for the children, because they are under the age of reason and your religious leaders know FAMILY togetherness is very important to understanding GOD.
You excluded all the activities a community holds events of bonding for. So with whom do you bond in your community with? Dances have themes, and yet by the way you talk you can't go to any. You are too serious to see the joy of Halloween because you can't find your inner child anymore. Watching a child gather their courage to ask a ghost or monster "trick-or-treat" for the first time - is something lost on you. The child learns so much about themselves during these few hours, plus they get candy! which leads to learning about sharing and patience! (Ooo, how terrible.)
Being serious is fine, but you have to talk and listen to your religious leader, and believe him (her) when you are told "paganness" or "worldly" events that are shared by the community ARE NOT BAD.
Being overzealous in faith to the detriment of a love you have with your girlfriend is interesting.
You think GOD would be happier you ruined the gift of love given to you over not understanding that GOD could care less about holidays. We, humanity, is called to be a sharing, teaching, caring people - you seem unable to want to do this, and may loose the love GOD gave you because of it.
Please do not do anything rash before talking and listening to your religious leader.

Answer 7

Umm...Those aren't Pagan holidays, the Pagan Wheel of the Year has eight high holidays, or Sabbats: Imbolc, Eostre, Beltaine, Litha, Lughnasadh, Mabon, Samhain, and Yule. The other ones are remnants of past holidays, or made up in the last 200 years.

Answer 8

Valentine's Day is not a religious celebration anymore. Perhaps you should celebrate the love you and your girlfriend share. Every day is special for love, but when there is one specific day set aside in the calendar for celebrating love, Why not use it to make something really special for the girl you love? I believe she must be a very special and great girl, right?

Go and surprise her. Do something special for her and let her do something special for you.

Answer 9

What convictions would those be? Despite the name, Valentine's Day as 'observed' in the US is decidedly sexular, er, secular.

Don't worry, I'm sure you can express your love and devotion without breaking any vows of chastity. That doesn't mean you can't make *some* show of affection. If you're this tightly wound, maybe you shouldn't be inflicting your overly righteous superiority on any woman.

Answer 10

What's "pagan" about Valentine's Day? Read this article I found below:

ST VALENTINE’S DAY; WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT?
~Rev. Bryan Griem 2007

“Saint” Valentinus was beheaded for refusing to deny Christ before the Emperor Claudius II during the Christian persecution of the mid to late 3rd century.

The legend surrounding him speaks of his doing a healing miracle to the jailer’s daughter before he died. That relationship added to the romantic notion of Valentine’s Day, as did the placement of the Church’s celebration of his commemorative feast on February 14th, which may have been specifically chosen to supplant the Roman fertility festival of Lupercalia (much like Christmas supplanted Rome’s pagan festival of Saturnalia). Story tellers embellished the tale with Valentinus leaving a farewell note to the woman; the first official “valentine.”

As a pastor, Valentinus is also said to have performed Christian marriages in secret, the charge for which he may have been brought to prison.

The Roman Catholic Church no longer retains the feast on its official calendar because of the factual uncertainty of so much of Valentinus’ life, but Christians worldwide continue to use the opportunity of St. Valentine’s Day to share the biblical message for which the saint was martyrd (ie, that Christ died for sins, and saves those who believe). The rest of society just exchanges candy and flowers.

Answer 11

St Valentine's has always been more a secular festival... and was converted as legitimately as Easter and Christmas by the Catholic church, so Protestant dilly-dallying over which ex-pagan feasts are palatable doesn't really stand to scrutiny. But isn't Love what Christ was sent to Incarnate anyway?