Valentine's Day

Carrying flowers he just bought for his wife, Russ Patterson walks with his daughter, Alyssa, 3, in Montpelier, Vt., Feb. 14, 2005. For the past several years, someone or a group of people have plastered storefronts throughout downtown Montpelier with red hearts overnight before Valentine's Day. No one knows who the mysterious heart messenger is.

Georgia

Jack Gantz and his wife of 60 years, Emery, wait to renew their marriage vows in court in Lawrenceville, Ga., Feb. 14, 2005. Chief Magistrate Judge Warren Davis and his judges have been offering Valentine's weddings for 10 years.

Minnesota

A shark passes by after Barbara Anderson and Jason Skubitz exchanged Valentine's Day wedding vows in a shark tank at the Mall of America, Feb. 14, 2005, in Bloomington, Minn. The couple, who were engaged while deep sea diving in Mexico, won the chance for an underwater wedding in a radio station contest.

Nebraska

Kim Fay runs letters through a special cancellation machine used specifically for Valentines, at the Valentine, Neb., Post Office, Feb. 11, 2005. The machine cancels stamps with a message reading, "Love on Valentine's Day - Valentine, NE."

Poland

A young man gives his girlfriend a rose in Warsaw, Poland, Feb. 14. 2005. Valentine's day is a fairly new holiday in Poland, and Poles are more prone to celebrate Women's Day on March 8.

India

A couple dances during a Valentine's Day celebration in New Delhi, India, Feb. 14, 2005. In spite of opposition from Hindu hardliners who oppose such foreign concepts as a corrupting influence on youth, Valentine's Day has gained popularity among India's urban polpulation.

India

An unidentified man presents a rose to his girlfriend on Valentine's Day, in Bombay, India, Feb. 14, 2005.

Pakistan

A Pakistani girl carries heart-shaped balloons to celebrate Valentine's Day, in Karachi, Pakistan, Feb. 14, 2005. Valentine's Day is considered to be un-Islamic in Pakistan.

Iraq

An Iraqi woman looks at flowers and other gifts in a Baghdad shop, Feb. 13, 2005. Valentine's Day has never been a widely marked holiday in Iraq, and in a time when Islamic extremists are fighting alongside loyalists of former dictator Saddam Hussein, public displays of affection are risky.

Jordan

A young couple shop on St. Valentine's day in Amman, Jordan, Feb. 14, 2005. Celebrating the holiday is uncommon for Jordan's largely conservative Muslim society, which regards the event as an alien tradition imported from the West to decay the minds of its youth.

El Salvador

Mario Antonio Gomez sells flowers for Valentine's Day in San Salvador, El Salvador, Feb. 13, 2005.

Nicaragua

A women walks past flowers in a market on Valentine's Day, in Managua, Nicaragua, Feb. 14, 2005.

Paraguay

Javier Nunez, 26, left, and Florencia Martinez, 20, share a Valentine's Day kiss while swimming in Ypacarai lake, in San Bernardino city, Paraguay, Feb. 14, 2005.

Greece

A woman has her makeup done in a cosmetics store decorated with hearts for Valentine's Day, in Athens, Greece, Feb. 14, 2005.

China

A florist prepares a bouquet of 365 roses, which sold for $605 dollars, in Beijing, Feb. 14, 2005. The Chinese have begun to adopt the custom of buying flowers on Valentine's Day, known locally as "Lovers Day," though flower sales were down in 2005 because the day falls in the middle of Lunar New Year celebrations.

Thailand

Four sets of newlyweds show their marriage certificates as Nadi chief district Vinai Jongwattanabandit looks on, top, during a cliff-hanging marriage ceremony in the Nadi district of Prachinburi province, Thailand, Feb. 14, 2005. The ceremony was held to honor Valentine's Day and to promote the country's tourism.

Philippines

Two Muslim mothers show off a cut-out heart they made while waiting for their children inside a school, Feb. 14, 2005, in the southern Philippine island of Jolo.

Kenya

A woman prepares red roses for Valentine's Day at her shop in Nairobi, Kenya, Feb 14, 2005.