Thinking of popping the question this Valentine’s Day? Or sending your sweetheart a bouquet of flowers? The day of love is right around the corner, but it does not have to be celebrated with the same mundane gifts. We have found four romantic emblems that might make you want to ditch the chocolates, hearts and roses for a one-of-a-kind Valentine’s Day filled with such international splendor they are guaranteed to set the mood off right and make your mate fall in love with you all over again.

Ireland: Claddagh Ring

Diamonds are well-known for being a girl’s best friend, but in Ireland no emblem professes true love like the Claddagh ring, which is a heart (love) that is clasped with two hands (friendship) and topped with a crown (loyalty).  One of the symbol’s famous legends tells of Richard Joyce, a silversmith who was captured by on his way to the West Indies and was forced to work as a slave.  While learning from the goldsmith that he worked for, Joyce crafted the ring which he brought back to Galway with him when he was finally freed. 

Once he was home, he presented the Claddagh ring to his lover whom he later married. Although there may not be truth to this tale, the Irish take great pride in wearing the ring to express the status of their relationship. So if you’re planning on becoming engaged the ring should be placed on the left hand with the bottom of the heart facing the fingertips. And if you want the world to know that your lady is taken the heart should be upright when she lifts her hand to wave off any unwanted suitors.

China: Maple Leaf

Known for producing the sweet savory syrup, you might want to ditch the typical hearts and integrate the maple leaf with your Valentine’s Day gift instead, especially if your infatuation for your lover is as sweet as maple syrup. 

The leaf came to represent love in China since the sweetness of maple is believed to represent the feelings love can bring. Even early inhabitants of North America got into this Chinese trend by placing the leaf it at the end of the bed to spark a night of passion.  

Japan: Camellia Flower

Yes, a dozen red roses can seem like the ideal gift to give, but why not make the holiday unforgettable by surprising your sweetheart a bouquet of pink or red camellias instead?

Delicate in nature, when this flower unfolds, its curvy petals give off meanings of yearning to be with that special someone and an unbridled passion that you just can’t hide.

Serbia: Love Padlocks

Padlocks are typically used to keep valuable belongings secure, yet in Serbia they have become a unique way to ensure lovers are bound forever.  As legends tell it, the tradition began on the Most Ljubavi, which is known as the Bridge of Love in memory of a woman named Nada who is believed to have died of a broken heart because her lover fell in love with another woman when he was drafted to Greece during World War I.  

To ensure their relationships did not suffer the same fate, women of the country began to sign padlocks with their names and the names of their mates and attach them to the rails of the bridge where the couple supposedly met.  Since then, many countries throughout Europe and beyond have kept this romantic gesture alive by making various public fences and bridges attractions for couples to wish for an everlasting love.