Like the Americans, people in Germany and Austria and also give out Valentine’s Day gifts, flowers, cards and chocolates to their wives on Valentine’s Day. However in Spain, the tradition is a little different and here, the wives give the presents to their husbands and the husbands give flowers to their wives.

In Scotland, there is a festival on Valentine's Day where young men and women write their names on pieces of paper and put them into separate hats, one for men and one for women. Names are drawn out by both parties, but the men, irrespective of the names they have drawn, have to dance with the women who pick them. And a world of dancing and merrymaking follow.

In Australia, the Valentine’s Day celebrations resemble those of America. Gifts and flowers are given out to loved ones. It is a heavily publicized event and the shopping malls are decorated and attract a lot of visitors on this day. However, it is not too much of a “festival” in Australia.

In Japan, there is a unique tradition. Women buy a particular type of candy called hon-mei and gift it to the person they are romantically attached to. It can be a crush, boyfriend, fiancé or husband. Then after one month, on March 14 (also known as White Day), the men return the favor by sending candies to all the women who remembered them on Valentine’s Day. The candies sent out by the men are generally white because of the name of the day.

In Brazil, there is no such thing as Valentine’s Day. However, something like Valentine's Day, "Dia dos Namorados" (lit. "Day of the enamored", or "Boyfriend's/Girlfriend's Day") is celebrated on June 12. On this day lovers gift each other candies, flowers, cards and other love presents. This day was chosen because it is the day before Saint Anthony's day, known as the "marriage saint", when many single women perform popular rituals in order to find a good husband (or nowadays, a boyfriend).

The Chinese celebrate Valentine's Day on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. Contrary to the Western custom of giving gifts to the beloved, the young girls make artistic items and offer them to Zhi Nu, the weaving maiden, in prayer for better needlework skills and also for loving husbands.

Sean Carter writes on holidays, Valentine's Day and world events. He is a writer with special interest in ecard industry and writes for 123greetings.com. He is an active blogger at Valentines Day Blog.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sean_Carter

If you are feeling overwhelmed with all that there is for you to do in your professional and personal life, spending most of your time dealing with distractions, interruptions,  and challenging commitments - you are obviously not alone. 

Most of us live with persistent anxiety, worried about what we overlooked, what we’ve forgotten and what has fallen thru the cracks.

I have been asking myself this question for a long time. There’s got to be a way to be in control and to “get it all done”. The work habits we develop, the automatic habits we don’t even know how to control and the way today’s culture pulls us to “get it all done” are the main ingredients of this “relentless volume of things screaming for our attention”.

I finally learned that there is nothing wrong with me and I can learn how to respond powerfully to the constant demands in my environment. Leo Tonkin, CEO of Distinctions, Inc. along with his team of professional workshop leaders and coaches can help you take the journey to learn new ways to think about our work habit AND new ways to organize, manage, and complete what you have to do and handle.

One of the techniques is to use "one and only one" tool to capture anything that may come to mind or that you are told to do throughout the day. I must have it with me at all times, and they mean at all times (a voice recorder, a PDA, or something as simple as a small spiral notebook). No more post-it notes all over your computer, to-do lists, and notes on napkins or on scrap pieces of paper you find. The whole point is to be able to get everything out of your head and into a place where you can retrieve it when you need it. Our memories are not necessarily the most reliable place for important information.

So here is the tough part: “If you’re going to do it, schedule it!” our instructor, Scott Forgey explained. “Plan your future commitments by putting them into existence in your calendar, into your schedule."  I will also need to have my calendar accessible; whether it is on a PDA or laptop, or just a paper daily planner.  He even tells us to schedule our personal occasions with the same commitment we give work occasions.  Forgey said he even schedules time to “goof off . . . why not!" "When you put something in your schedule, you’re committing.  Every day you have access to fulfilling your promises” he explains.

You should also schedule things in a way that is inviting or seems useful to you, such as: “Today’s staff meeting was very productive and my goals are completely set for this week.” I noticed within the few days of trying on these new ideas, it feels good to see my accomplishments before the scheduled event or meeting even started.  I will also be scheduling time to deal with interruptions, or even possibly encourage others in my work environment to avoid the interruptions, i.e.:  if you have staff members that come to you all the time for questions, why not block off the same time each week for them to come to you with those things? That one reminded me of the way a doctor or professor will schedule specific hours for students or patients to call and get their questions answered.

Get straight with yourself about how much you really have on your plate.  "By embracing everything you think you have to do, including all the things you started that are hanging around and incomplete, you will gain a sense of certainty by having a picture of the entirety. Only at that point can you honestly see what you will take on now, what you may take on at a later date and what you may, in fact, completely let go.” explains Tonkin.

Start using Agendas for people or teams that regularly meet.  I experienced our first staff meeting with an Agenda of topics in which we had to discuss. Everyone said how great it was to come to the meeting and know exactly the topics we would be discussing - without   mentioning that no time was wasted chatting!

They also warned us that our old and familiar habits will be very hard to change.  But learning a new habit does take time and being persistent is the best way to implement new ideas and new ways of working.

As I’m starting to use this system, I’m discovering that I have more time than I thought I did.  In the meanwhile, I'm being persistent and continue to set the idea in my mind that I can live more powerfully, with greater certainty and with a sense of accomplishment.

  About Distinctions, Inc.

Distinctions, Incorporated is a dynamic, innovative provider of cutting-edge programs and services. As a global leader in the training and organizational development industry, Distinctions, Incorporated provides organizational initiatives, leadership programs, and training seminars that are Transforming The Way Businesses Work™. Their firm impacts performance, effectiveness, and productivity enabling organizations to generate extraordinary business results and an exceptional quality of life for their people.

Leading their staff is Leo M. Tonkin, CEO, who has over 18 years experience providing a full range of programs and services - from strategic thinking and planning sessions, to training and coaching high performance executive and management teams, as well as implementing large scale change initiatives in the workforce.

Visit their website for more information on what they have to offer and about Group Coaching for your company www.DistinctionsInc.com or call (561) 244-2525

Love the heart that hurts you, but never hurt the heart that loves you.

                                                                                           - Vipin Sharma