Valentine's Day has almost arrived and the holiday, which began in the Western world, has spread across the globe to countries all over the world. The United States may be the land of the free and the home of the brave, but we are certainly not the land the romance, and home of the passion. Due to the popularity and commercialization of Valentine’s Day, almost every nation celebrates the day, making February 14th a worldwide holiday, however cupid’s love arrow never strikes the same way. Meaning that each nation has their own customs and traditions to spread love and admiration. Whether you celebrate in the holiday or not, it's interesting to see how people from different backgrounds and nations spend the holiday. You already know how the U.S. does Valentine’s Day and that entails a lot of Russell Stover and “I love you” teddy bears, so now take a look at the top 5 most unique and romantic traditions from around the world.

THAILAND: According to CNN, women looking for love visit the Trimurti shrine with red roses on Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. with red roses, candles and incense sticks. The women then kneel in front of the Hindu deity of love with the hopes of finding someone special.



GUATEMALA: Valentine's Day is called El Día del Cariño in Guatemala, where the holiday is just as much about friendship and family as it is about romantic love. The Los Angeles Times reports that Guatemalans exchange cards and flowers, much like the United States.



CHINA: In China, Valentine's Day is not on Feb. 14 but in August during the Qixi Festival. CNN reports that this holiday is a popular day to get married in China. Another trend in China: To have pre-wedding photoshoots.



IRAQ: In Iraq, according to The Atlantic, Iraqi Kurds celebrate by decorating apples with cloves to gift their partners. The apple is a reference to the story of Adam and Eve with the apple representing love and prosperity.



FRANCE: While the United States reputation as a romantic nation may be struggling, France has long been hailed as the most romantic country in the world! Their Valentine’s Day customs lend a hand to this romantic reputation with a tradition known as “une loterie d’amour” which translates to “drawing for love.” Single men and single women would enter houses adjacent to each other, and would then call out to each other through the windows till eventually they paired off. The male suitor, has the upper hand in this custom, because if he was not particularly attracted to his female partner, he would leave her and set out to call for another more pleasing companion. Luckily the single women were not left totally alone, the rudely discarded single females would then build a large bonfire and ceremoniously burn images of the men that had deserted them whilst simultaneously hurling abuse and curses at the ungrateful men. Ahhhh, romance. The practice quickly become out of hand, probably due to the bonfires, and was eventually banned by the French government.

Latin Times