9 Valentine’s Day traditions from around the world

South Korea celebrates love on the 14th of every month of the year, but February and March are the biggest and most expensive.

Valentine’s Day sees women giving chocolate to men. And instead of returning the favour straight away, Korean men give chocolate on White Day (14th March).

A month later is Black Day — a celebration for singles. Those who didn’t receive treats in the previous months get together and eat jjajyangmyeon (noodles with black bean sauce) with all their single friends.

It’s what every admirer dreads hearing, especially on Valentine’s Day. Let’s be friends. But in Estonia Valentine’s Day is called Sōbrapäev, or ‘Friends Day.’

People exchange cards and gifts among friends with a cheery ‘Happy Friends Day.’ Just what you want to hear from someone you’ve had your eye on for years.

The Welsh have their own version of Valentine’s Day: St. Dwynwen’s Day. Marked on 25 January, the day celebrates Dwynwen, the Welsh patron saint of lovers.

While cards, chocolate and other typical gifts are exchanged, it’s also common to share love spoons. An age-old tradition where Welsh men would carefully carve spoons and present them to the woman they were interested in, the designs they carved were symbolic and often had hidden clues.

For example, the number of beads attached represented the number of children the man was expecting his beloved to produce.

Not so long ago, French single people celebrated Valentine’s Day by calling out to other single people living across the road until they were all paired off.

If the men didn’t like their match they would simply leave the woman for another man to call. Called une loterie d’amour, the tradition often left women unmatched.

However, according to the rules of tradition, they could get together, light a bonfire and toss pictures and belongings of the guys who rejected them. Sadly, the government banned it.

Slovenia is a country of lovers, because not only do they celebrate Valentine’s Day on 14 February, but they also mark Gregorjevo, or St. Gregory’s Day, on 12 March.

Coinciding with the start of spring, women are encouraged to go outside and look to the sky for answers, as the first bird they see will supposedly tell them what their future husband will be like.

Let’s hope it’s something a little more exciting than a common pigeon.

Iraqi Kurds celebrate Valentine’s Day with a ‘feast of love’, decorating red apples with cloves to represent the original love story: Adam and Eve.

It diverges from the biblical tale in that an apple is believed to bring prosperity and love, not the end of earthly paradise.

In Germany, gingerbread isn’t just for Christmas. Nothing says ‘Ich liebe dich’ better than a giant heart-shaped ginger biscuit.

The biscuits come with a ribbon attached so it can be hung around the neck of the lucky recipient.

Guatemalan’s take to the streets for El Dia del Carino (the Day of Affection), for the annual Old Love Parade.

Celebrating the enduring love of the older generations, senior citizens take centre stage, dressing in feathers and masks for the celebration in Guatemala City.

In the Philippines, those who can’t afford their dream wedding jump at the chance to tie the knot on Valentine’s Day.

Sponsored by the government, mass weddings takes place across the country, with everything being provided for them, even the rings.

An event called dovapalooza also takes place in the Philippines, which sees couples meet at the shores of Manila Bay for a midnight kiss.