Nimrod, described in Genesis 10:9 as a mighty hunter, emerges as a central figure in the origins of various pagan traditions. In the days following the Flood, animals multiplied rapidly, causing fear among the people, and Nimrod grew powerful due to his prowess in fighting wild beasts. Tradition holds that he roamed as far as Italy to hunt wolves, linking him to Lupercus, a hunter of wolves associated with the Roman god Faunus and the Greek god Pan, both tied to fertility and nature. A strong case connects Nimrod to the Phoenician sun god Baal, also a deity of fertility, further intertwining his identity with these ancient figures. The term "valentine," derived from the Latin "valens" meaning strong, powerful, and mighty, aptly describes Nimrod, positioning him as a symbolic valentine to the people. The heart symbol, ubiquitous in modern celebrations, traces back to the Babylonians, where the Chaldean word for heart, "bal" or "bel," resembled "Baal," becoming an emblem for Nimrod. Additionally, Cupid, often depicted with a bow and arrows as a hunter, is identified in mythology as Ninus or Nimrod, reinforcing this connection. Nimrod's supposed birth at the winter solstice, which in antiquity was on January 6, ties into the timing of the Lupercalia, a Feast of Purification held on February 15, forty days after this date, aligning with ancient customs of purification following childbirth.

Nimrod, described in Genesis 10:9 as a mighty hunter before the LORD, is presented as a central figure linked to the origins of Valentine's Day. A more fitting translation portrays him as a fearless hunter in defiance of the LORD, living and teaching a way of life opposed to God's way of love. Secular history depicts Nimrod as a vicious murderer and abuser of women. His birth date was believed to be January 6, and forty days later, on February 15, his mother presented herself for purification, coinciding with the pagan Roman festival of Lupercalia, celebrated beginning the evening of February 14 in honor of Lupercus, a deified hero-hunter of wolves. This sensuous festival encouraged licentious acts of sexual immorality, later adapted by Roman church leaders into what became known as Saint Valentine's Day, reflecting a syncretistic blend of pagan and Christian elements.

Two key figures in the origin of Christmas are Nimrod, a great grandson of Noah, and his mother and wife, Semiramis. Nimrod was the founder of the first world empire at Babel, later known as Babylon. After Nimrod's death, Semiramis promoted the belief that he was a god, claiming she saw a full-grown evergreen tree spring out of a dead tree stump, symbolizing new life for Nimrod. On the anniversary of his birth, which fell on the winter solstice at the end of December, she said Nimrod would visit the evergreen tree and leave gifts under it. Semiramis later bore a son, Horus, declaring that Nimrod's spirit had visited her, leaving her pregnant, and that Horus was Nimrod reincarnated. This formed a deceptive trinity with father, mother, and son deified, leading to worship of Semiramis and Horus as Madonna and child under various names across different cultures. Additionally, the pagan celebration known as Saturnalia, named after Saturn, another name for Nimrod, involved riotous feasting and orgies as the days grew longer in early winter, marking the return of their sun-god.