Free Republic

Don't let the boisterous Chinese New Year music on repeat in malls around Singapore distract you from another special occasion that's just around the corner — Valentine's Day. While many of us have probably been caught up in our preparations for the Lunar New Year, it isn't too late to start planning for the romantic holiday. Besides having a fancy candlelit meal and exchanging gifts, another common gesture is to get flowers for your date. Despite there being a plethora of bouquet options in the market, you may want to consider getting your boo something a little more unique than...

KATE'S wedding bouquet was placed on the grave of the unknown warrior at Westminster Abbey today in line with royal tradition, a palace spokeswoman said. The new Duchess of Cambridge asked for her green and white bouquet to be left on the tomb, which holds the remains of a soldier who died in World War I but has come to symbolise all of Britain's war dead.

The traditional throwing of a bride's bouquet for luck ended in disaster at an Italian wedding when the flowers caused a plane to crash. The bride and groom had hired a microlight plane to fly past and throw the bouquet to a line of women guests, Corriere della Sera reported. However, the flowers were sucked into the plane's engine causing it to catch fire and explode. The aircraft plunged into a hostel. One passenger on the plane was badly hurt. But about 50 people who had been in the hostel escaped unscathed, as did the pilot.