In Mexico the holiday is know as El Día de San Valentín, the day of love and friendship. Balloon vendors sell colorful, heart-shaped declarations of love, reading: Te Amo (I love you), Para mi amor (for my love), or Felicidades (congratulations). Chocolates and red roses are given to friends and family, as well as to lovers and spouses. 

In Scotland Valentine’s Day is celebrated with a festival where equal numbers of single men and women write their names on pieces of paper, roll them up and place them in a men’s hat and women’s hat. Then each person takes the name of a person of the opposite sex. The man is obliged to stick with the valentine who has chosen him. A Scottish valentine superstition (also found in Italy and England ), says that an unmarried woman will marry the first man she sees on that day — or at least somebody who looks like him. 

In Spain it is customary for courting couples to exchange gifts and for husbands to send their wives a bunch of roses.

In the United States and Canada men and women exchange gifts of flowers, candies and other finery such as jewelry, perfume and sexy clothing along with elaborate valentine cards bearing romantic messages. 

In Wales wooden love spoons are carved and given as gifts on Feb. 14. Hearts, keys and keyholes are favorite decorations on the spoons, meaning: “You unlock my heart.”

By the Way, there’s still time to order flowers for your Valentine!