There are so many ways to show your affection for someone you love. Here is an unusual tradition from Wales.

Young men have been carving so called love spoons out of single piece of wood. They were given to their sweethearts. If the young man managed to capture the girl's heart, then the spoon would be treasured and proudly displayed on the wall in their home.

Many of carvers were kind of shy and try to show their feelings openly. So, love spoons include different symbols.

Some of symbols present on Welsh love spoons are a horseshoe for luck, a cross for faith, bells for marriage, hearts for love, a wheel supporting a loved one, a lock for security, flowers for affection, a diamond for wealth etc.

Some spoons have a swivel or chain attachment. The number of links in such chain shows the number of children desired.

For those of you visiting Wales as tourists, do not miss the beautiful collection of love spoons in the Welsh Folk Museum located in St. Fagan's Castle (Castell Sain Ffagan), Cardiff. The oldest love spoon there is dated around 1667.

Love spoons today are given as presents on many occasions like weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, births, engagements, christenings and St. Valentine's Day.