The document summarizes seven Valentine's Day traditions from different countries and cultures: 1) In Slovenia, February 14th is associated with the resumption of agricultural work and nature awakening from winter. 2) In Japan, women give men chocolate on February 14th depending on their relationship, with homemade "honmei-choko" reserved for romantic partners. 3) In Wales, January 25th is dedicated to Saint Dwynwen, and lovers exchange decorative wooden "lovespoons" as symbols of affection. 4) British superstitions on Valentine's Eve involved dreaming of future husbands through rituals with bay leaves and eggs. 5) In South Korea, singles gather on April

1. Seven Valentine Traditions

2. Slovenia - where it is the day to resume work in the fields
St. Valentine is one of the saints of spring in Slovenia,
and it is said that plants and flowers start to grow on
this day. Often, it is the first day of the year when work
starts on vineyards and in the fields. According to
tradition, St Valentine comes on February 14th to bring
keys to all the roots, meaning that nature begins to
awaken. It is also a strongly held tradition that the
birds of the fields propose to their loved ones on this
day and marry. The annual day of love celebrated in
Slovenia actually falls on March 12, Saint Gregory's
Day.

3. Japan - where women give chocolates to men
During February 14, tradition holds that women give
men the gift of chocolate. However, the type of
chocolate given depends greatly on the nature of the
relationship. Giri-choko is bought for bosses, colleagues
and close male friends.Giri means ‘obligation' and,
therefore, these chocolates do not carry any romantic
association. By contrast, Honmei-choko is presented to
boyfriends, lovers or husbands. These chocolates are
very special, because they are hand made by the women
themselves. Men who receive Honmei-choko on
Valentine's Day are very lucky.
One month later on White Day (March 14), men are
expected to return gifts that are at least two or three
times more valuable than the gifts received on
Valentine's Day. The term sanbai gaeshi (literally, "thrice
the return") is used to describe this rule. Not returning
the gift is perceived as the man placing himself in a
position of superiority, even if excuses are given.
Returning a present of equal value is considered as a way
to say that you are ending the relationship. Originally
only chocolates were given, but now jewelry,
accessories, clothing and lingerie are common White Day
gifts.

4. Wales- where St. Dwywen is the lovers' saint and the spoon is a
symbol of love
Dwynwen's Day, otherwise known as the Welsh Valentine's Day, takes place every year on
January 25th. It commemorates the Welsh Saint Dwynwen, whose ancient and tragic love
story has inspired Welsh people for generations to exchange cards and gifts, and to
express their deepest feelings for one another.
The legend states that Dwynwen fell in love with a young prince named Maeron. Maeron
reciprocated her feelings but for an undetermined reason, they could not be together.
Three hypotheses are that a) Maeron raped Dwynwen despite her wish to remain celibate
until after marriage, b) her father forbade the marriage, or c) her father had already
promised her to someone else. Dwynwen, distraught by her love for Maeron, prays to fall
out of love with him. An angel answers her prayers by bringing her a potion that erases
her love for Maeron and turns him to ice.
God then grants Dwynwen three requests. First, she asks God to free Maeron from his icy
tomb. Then, she asks him to make her the Patron Saint of Lovers, and to let her remain
unmarried for the rest of her life. When God grants these requests, Dwynwen dedicates
herself to the church and founds the above-mentioned convent on Llanddwyn Island.
Traditionally, St. Dwynwen's Day is celebrated by giving and receiving lovespoons. The
Welsh lovespoon dates back to the 17th century when young men would carve them from
a single piece of wood, decorate the handle with romantic symbols and then give them to
the lady who had caught their eye. The earliest surviving example, dating from around
1667, is on display at the Welsh Folk Museum in St. Fagans, Cardiff. That shows they last a
lot longer than the traditional Valentine's Day rose!

5. Great Britain- where there are odd superstitions
In Great Britain on Valentine's Day Eve, women used to
pin four bay leaves to the corners of their pillow and
eat eggs, with salt replacing the removed yokes. They
believed they would then dream of their future
husbands. Also, women used to write their lover's
names on paper and put them on clay balls which they
would drop into the water. They believed that
whichever paper came up first, that man would be
their future husband. While a majority of the traditions
have now become folklore, a few continue to be
practiced.

6. South Korea- where people "mourn" being single
In South Korea, similar to Japan, women give chocolate
to men on February 14, and men give non-chocolate
candy to women on March 14 (White Day). On April 14
(Black Day), those who did not receive anything on the
14th of Feb or March go to a Chinese restaurant to eat
black noodles (자장면 jajangmyeon) and “mourn”
their single life. Koreans also celebrate Pepero Day on
November 11, when young couples give each other
Pepero cookies. The date '11/11′ is intended to
resemble the long shape of the cookie. The 14th of
every month marks a love-related day in Korea,
although most of them are obscure. From January to
December: Candle Day, Valentine's Day, White Day,
Black Day, Rose Day, Kiss Day, Silver Day, Green Day,
Music Day, Wine Day, Movie Day, and Hug Day.

7. Finland- where they celebrate friendship instead of love
In Finland Valentine's Day is called
"Ystävänpäivä", which means "Friend's Day".
Unlike many other countries where
Valentine's Day is mainly a day of "Romance",
in Finland it is also the day when close friends
send cards and gifts to each other. Even so, it
is a popular day for Finns to get engaged and
married.

8. China- where people visit the Temple of the Matchmaker to ask
for love
The seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar
calendar is known as Qi Xi Jie (also called Night of
Sevens, Festival of Double Sevens, Seven Sister's Festival,
or Daughter's Festival), a traditional holiday that has
recently been called China's Valentine's Day. This 2013, it
falls on August 13.
This traditional Chinese festival based on a romantic love
story started more than 2,000 years ago. Like all folk
tales, there are many variations of the Qixi Festival
legend, but the basic story is usually the same: a Chinese
couple, Niulang (cow herder) and Zhinv (fairy weaver girl)
were separated by the goddess of Heaven, who was
angry that a fairy would want to marry a mortal. They
could only meet once a year on a bridge formed by
magpies, who took pity on the separated couple.
To celebrate this day, lovers visit the Temple of the
Matchmaker and pray for love, happiness, and marriage.
Singles also visit the temple to ask for luck in love. On
this night, unmarried girls pray to Vega, the Weaving
Maid star.

9. Thank you 