Valentine's Day: 'Gaekkebrev', 12 days of love, mass weddings and other strange ways to celebrate day of love

In Wales, Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the most unique way. People in Wales don't celebrate Saint Valentine, instead, they celebrate their day of love on January 25th as 'day of San Dwynwen', the Welsh patron saint of lovers.

On this day, lovers of Wales exchange unique and beautifully handcrafted wooden spoons with different patterns and symbols carved into them. This tradition is being practised since the 16th century.

In Denmark, instead of popular red roses, lovers gift snowdrops to each other. Danish men also send their partner funny poems anonymously which are known as 'gaekkebrev'.

If the receiver successfully guesses the identity of who sent the letter, they receive an Easter egg and if not, then the recipient has to give an Easter egg to the sender.
 

In the Czech Republic, people celebrate their day of love on May 1st by kissing their lover under a cherry blossom tree which they believe brings good luck for the year ahead.

Young couples also visit the statue of the romantic poet Karel Hynek Macha.

Valentine's Day celebration in South Korea is a bit different from other celebrations around the world. Instead of love week, people in South Korea celebrate 12 days of love which take place on 14th of every month.

Couples celebrate Valentine's Day on 14th  February, 'the day of roses' in May, 'the day of kisses' in June. Meanwhile, single people celebrate 'the black day' in April by eating black noodles with their other single friends.

In the Philippines, mass wedding ceremonies take place which also tends to attract those who have been married for many years, who use the celebration as an opportunity to renew their vows. 

The government also sponsors some mass weeding events as a form of public service.