A tsunami of heart shaped candies wipes through almost every isle at the grocery store. Pink and red are so blinding that even the trees seem to change color. Cheesy love songs clog every radio station and flower delivery trucks seem to be at every stoplight. Any American could easily identify this as Valentine’s Day. Once a Roman day of romance dedicated to Saint Valentine, America quickly adopted February 14 as the day to shower the people you love with cards, flowers and chocolates. This western tradition of love spread rapidly around the world, along with a few other traditions.

     Asia proudly holds some of the most unique Valentine’s Day traditions. For example, in Japan and South Korea, February 14 is a day for women to shower their men with love. Around Valentine’s Day, Japan boasts one of the highest numbers of chocolate purchases in the world. On that day, women buy Japanese chocolates and flowers to give to their men. One month later on March 14, also known as White Day, the men reciprocate their love with gifts for the ladies. To the south, Vietnamese couples make it a custom to wear matching clothing on Valentine’s Day.

     A few thousand miles over, girls in South Africa celebrate the day of love by pinning the name of their crush on their sleeves. In Denmark, Valentine’s Day is celebrated with more of a humorous side. Instead of the sweet romantic cards like in other countries, Danish men send funny cards, known as “Gaekkebrev” to their women.

     Another interesting tradition occurs in England, where girls write the name of their crush on a piece of paper and put it on a clay ball, then place it in the water. If the name emerges from the water then that is supposed to be their future spouse. In Poland, couples attach locks to Tumski Bridge, and then throw the key into the river to symbolize their eternal love.

     In other countries such as Spain, Italy, France and Greece, Valentine’s Day is a day for lovers only to lavish each other with as much love as possible. While in South American countries, the day of love is to be shared with everyone, whether it be friends, family or neighbors.

     Although Valentine’s Day may be a joke holiday to some people, it is one of the few holidays celebrated globally, uniting everyone with love. It maybe be celebrated differently between different cultures, but it is known everywhere as the day of love.