will you be my Valentine?

I'm a Hallmark gal.

I'm all about cards and presents on any holiday.

So now with less than two weeks before Valentine's Day, I'm left wondering what Dad2Amara will shower me with.

Maybe the new purse I've been eying. Or perhaps something more practical like new baking sheets to replace the aging ones in my cupboards.

We have no true traditions. No dinner out (it's too crowded and too expensive). No flowers. No candy.

We try to keep it simple, especially since my birthday is a mere month away.

But I know my hubby will sign my card with mahal kita...the only Tagalog he knows.

All the talk about hearts and Cupid got me thinking: is Valentine's Day a regional holiday? Sweetest Day is primarily celebrated in the Midwest. So is Valentine's Day observed mainly in the Western Hemisphere?

I did some digging and apparently among all Asians, Filipinos are the most likely to celebrate Valentine's Day.

But being the Catholic country the Philippines is, I'm surprised there are no real customs that surround St. Valentine.

As I help my daughter sign her cards for her classmates and decorate the envelopes with hearts, I wonder if there's some Filipino tradition I can share with her regarding the holiday. Any ideas?

photo credit: hilaryaq