The most romantic day of the year, Valentine’s Day is traditionally a day in which people exchange letters, chocolates and flowers in the United States. However, many other countries celebrate the holiday of love in a distinctly different way.

Wales- The Most Romantic Gift Imaginable

The Welsh equivalent to Valentine’s Day is St. Dwynwen’s Da, for the Welsh patron saint of lovers. This day, celebrated on the 25th of January, was made to honor the saint who sacrificed her love for everyone else’s. On this day, lovers express their feelings by exchanging spoons decorated with romantic symbols. Men will traditionally carve these spoons out of a single piece of wood. The painstaking practice dates back to the seventeenth century.

“If I had a girlfriend the last thing I would want to get as a gift is a wooden spoon,” freshman Patrick Heydasch said.

South Korea- A Day For Everyone

In South Korea, there are twelve separate holidays that would be Valentine’s Day here, celebrated on the fourteenth of each month. On the day that America celebrates Valentine’s Day with men giving chocolates to their significant other, South Korean women give chocolates to theirs. A month after this day, White Day is celebrated. On this day, the other person in the relationship will reciprocate their gift the previous month by also giving chocolate. A month after this day, Black Day is celebrated. This day is for those who did not receive gifts in the previous two months. These people will eat Jajangmyeon, a dish of noodles served in a black sauce. During this meal, these people will wear all black and complain about their lack of a relationship.

Italy- A Cliché

A tradition in Italy is for unwed women to wake up early and perch themselves on a windowsill as if they are in Romeo and Juliet. The first man these women see is believed to be their future husbands. For those with significant others, a stroll around a garden and chocolate covered hazelnuts are traditionally expected.

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It seems like all of the romantic cliches I have ever seen stem from the romantic stuff they do in Italy on their Valentine’s Day.

— sophomore Nathaniel Leiva

India- A Not So Romantic Holiday

Starting in the Middle Ages, public affection became unpopular and looked down upon. The strict social hierarchy in India, known as the caste system prevented and persecuted lovers who were from different castes, or social groups. Then, when lower classes began using televisions and gained interest in western society, Valentine’s Day came with it. Many people who now publicly show signs of affection on or around Valentine’s Day are met with hostility, harassment and violence. A common act of violence on these young lovers is acid attacks, where corrosive acid is splashed onto them, permanently scarring them. On top of that, many Indian political parties condemn Valentine’s Day. Uddhav Thackeray, the leader of the Shiv Sena, a Hindu nationalist political party in India, considers it an invasion by the west and a way that the west tries to tempt the youth of India. Sena’s Mumbai chief even said that this holiday encourages youth to commit vulgar acts.