From ‘marriage markets’ to umbrellas: bizarre dating rituals around the world
ONLINE dating is a thing of the past. Young lovers realize that things can get a lot more exciting when you see each other in real life.
And the trend of meeting people in real life rather than on your phone has really taken off since Spanish TV star Vivy Lin posted a video about a craze among singles who go shopping for a partner in the supermarket, using fruit in their shopping carts to signal their availability.
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An upside down pineapple symbolizes that you are free, while a lettuce indicates that you are in the mood for a one-night stand.
After Vivy’s suspicious messages, chaotic scenes arose in a number of Spanish shops. The police were called in to restore order.
How do singles go about meeting each other in other countries? We investigate…
PARENTS of single children meet at weekends at ‘marriage markets’ where they exchange details of their children.
They put up posters with information about each bachelor’s age, height, education, job, income, values and standards.
Most candidates are between 25 and 30 years old and their parents are eager to hire them as soon as possible.
There are dating schools to help the many single men (who far outnumber the women) get to know the opposite sex.
Men can also get individual help from love coaches on a variety of topics, from conversations to dancing.
The modern way of dating is through group blind dates, also called gokon.
Normally, a man and a woman organize the gokon meeting, usually over dinner, and each invites three or four suitable friends.
The male and female groups sit across from each other and chat, while also whispering to their peers about who they like.
Texting instead of whispering is also allowed. This avoids the dangers of internet dating.
SINGLES meet each other in a practice called “sogaeting,” or blind dating.
Family members or friends provide the introduction, and sometimes matchmaking agencies are used.
If a single person likes someone, he/she should contact that person immediately.
And once you become a couple, the intensity won’t diminish.
In addition to anniversaries and Valentine’s Day, couples also celebrate White Day in March and Pepero Day in November. In addition, the 14th of each month is a small holiday for couples, each with a different theme.
After 100 days they even get a ring to show others that they are already taken.
THE biggest dating concern for Icelanders — in a country of just 330,000 people — is accidentally getting into a relationship with someone they’re related to.
So even if they meet someone in person, they have to check through a special app whether they are related.
The Book of Icelanders reveals how everyone is related, dating back to the first immigrants in the 11th century.
The incredibly detailed genealogical report is created with the intention of checking whether your potential partner is a distant relative before proceeding any further.
If you’re on a date and you both have the app, you can hold your phones together to uncover unwanted family connections.
Once you start dating someone, you also start dating their family.
The families there are incredibly close and protective, so it is very important that a potential partner is in the good family of his or her partner.
One way to do this is to learn your partner’s native language, as there are several languages spoken in the region.
They also have to adapt to the family.
If one is loud and loving, the partner should be too. And if one likes to dance after dinner, the other should quickly join in.
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YOUNG PEOPLE often still live with their parents, regardless of whether they are single, in a relationship or even married.
For this reason, it is difficult to find privacy and they have to come up with creative ways to show their affection.
Many newlywed couples go to a nearby park with an umbrella, where they kiss each other.
They use the umbrella as a shield so that no one can see the kiss.
Therefore, umbrellas are seen as an important accessory and are often expensive to purchase.
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