Get inspired by these 5 Valentine's Day traditions from around the world

Looking for a unique way to mark Valentine's Day this year? Get inspired by the many ways cultures from around the world celebrate the romantic holiday.

In North America, it's traditional to celebrate with a date, flowers, candy or some variation of these options, but other cultures do things a little differently.

Here are some unique and interesting Valentine's Day traditions from around the world.

In Japan, Valentine's Day is all about showering men with gifts and affection.

• A Kobe-based confectioner introduced the holiday in 1936.
• Typically, Japanese women present men with chocolates and other gifts to express their love.
• Women choose from different types of chocolates to signify romantic or platonic love.

Denmark only recently started celebrating Valentine's Day, but regardless, the Danish have fully embraced the holiday.

• Men write funny little poems or rhyming loves notes and send them to women anonymously.
• The man typically includes one small clue regarding his identity in an effort to allow the woman to guess who's courting her.
• If she guesses correctly, she wins an Easter egg, which she'll receive on Easter Sunday. If she doesn't guess correctly, she gives her admirer an Easter egg.

In Slovenia, Valentine's Day is considered the best day to start working in the vineyards because it's a sign of the beginning of spring.

• Instead of buying each other boxes of chocolate, Slovenians head to the fields to start tending to the grapes.
• It's also considered a very lucky day to get married. They celebrate this version of Valentine's Day on March 12, which is the same day they celebrate Saint Gregory's Day.

In Finland, Valentine's Day is all about appreciating your friends.

• The Fins actually call it "Friend's Day," and celebrate the day by exchanging gifts and cards with their pals. It's also a popular day to propose to a romantic partner or get married.

The French have a great affinity for Valentine's Day, which is no surprise, considering they're notorious for being a romantic nation.

• A popular Valentine's Day tradition once involved "drawing for love," where men and women are paired together. The women who didn't get a match would hold a huge ceremonial bonfire into which they would throw pictures and objects of the men who didn't want them.
• The practice got to be so rowdy that the French government ended up banning it altogether.