Happy Valentine's day to you all! Wherever you are spending it, we hope you have a day full of love. We thought it would be fun to find out about some of the Valentine's Day traditions here in Portugal to see if they differ from our own back in the UK.

In Guimarães, a fabulous city in Northern Portugal, the 'cantarinha dos namorados' is a very common Valentine's gift that keeps a very old tradition alive. When a man decided to make his official marriage proposal, he had to give his fiancée a 'cantarinha', which is a sort of clay jug. If the answer to the proposal was yes (and if her parents approved!), the jug was used to store the gifts that the groom and parents of the bride would give her, usually gold jewelry!

In another tradition, dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries, women would wear beautiful embroidered scarves in order to attract men. The scarf was given to the suitor, and if he accepted, he would wear it on his coat or his neck. If he didn't, it would be returned to the girl! In Braga (north-east of Porto) the tradition remains, and many people give and receive an embroidered scarf as a Valentine's gift.

Whether you are celebrating Valentine's day with a loved one; spending it on your own, or with family or friends, we hope you have a day full of love!
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