These are random musings of my life journey, the people, animals, places, and events which have woven, and continue to weave, a tapestry that is me. We all know there is no real destination, only the ongoing experiences which blend together, creating the trail. Each step gives a glimpse of what is to come, without allowing me to see the end result. It is exciting. I have a home base that is mine, that gives me a place to rest. This is it. This is where my heart is, no matter where I journey...................

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

TUESDAY TRIVIA

“The decision to kiss for the first time is the most crucial in any love story.
It changes the relationship of two people much more strongly
than even the final surrender;
because this kiss already has within it that surrender.”


Emil Ludwig, (1881-1948),
German Biographer and Writer
who is internationally known for many popular biographies.


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DATING AROUND THE WORLD
Dating is rare in Afghanistan because most marriages are arranged by parents, and schools are separate for boys and girls. The opportunities to meet are rare. Girls have a 7:00 P.M. curfew, while boys have an 11:00 P.M. curfew.

Most teens go out in large groups and don't pair off until they are 18 or 19 years old in Australia. Girls often ask out boys and pay for the date, too. Couples often go to dinner parties, barbecues, or the beach.

Dating is not allowed until the age of 15 in Central and South America. When of age, most boys and girls date in large groups, going out together to weekend dance parties. When not dancing, teens gather at local clubs to eat and talk.

Dating is usually a group event in Europe. In Finland, as many as 30 teens may attend a movie together. Slumber parties are common in Italy and Switzerland, where teens gather for parties at a home and sleep there when the party is over.

In Spain teens join a pandilla, a club or a group of friends with the same interests, like cycling or hiking. Dating is done one-to-one and both girls and boys ask each other out and split the cost of the evening's entertainment.

In Japan and Korea, most high school students don't date or go to parties, but spend their time studying instead. Dating begins in college, when only boys do the asking and pay for the dates.


MARRIAGE THROUGH THE AGES
In ancient Egypt, a woman's rights and privileges were equal to that of her husband. After marriage, women held control of their independence, property and wealth, and either person could easily get a divorce. For two people to be considered married, all they had to do was move in with each other.

Marriages in ancient Greece were arranged by parents and approved by the gods. Women in their early teens were married to men in their mid-thirties, and a husband had to buy his new wife from her father. Many couples did not see each other until after the ceremony, when the bridal veil was removed. On the night before the wedding, the girl's hair was cut off and she was bathed in holy water from a sacred fountain.

The Spartans believed that a person's athletic ability matched their fitness for marriage. Before marrying, a couple was required to wrestle in public to show their compatibility. The groom's father chose a bride for his son. Twelve months after the selection, the couple was married. During the marriage ceremony, the bride wore a white robe, a veil, and jewelry given to her by her new husband's family.

Roman brides wore white tunics with orange veils and orange slippers. Following the ceremony, the groom carried his bride over the threshold of their new home to symbolize his ownership of her.

Christian church marriages were thought to be made in heaven and therefore could never be broken. The father of the bride gave a dowry of land or money to the groom. If the marriage was unsuccessful, the wife and the dowry were returned to the father's home, but neither partner was allowed to remarry.

Until the 1400s, married couples did not live together in Japan. They stayed in separate homes, meeting only at night. The old Japanese word for marriage meant, “slip into the house by night.”

8 comments:

  1. "Before marrying, a couple was required to wrestle in public to show their compatibility" ...

    I am SO GLAD Stacy and I did not have to do THAT!


    This was SO interesting.. Thank You Lynilu for finding it!

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  2. Patti, yeah, don't you wonder?? You're most welcome!

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  3. The wrestling match was probably a good idea. Very interesting.

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  4. Very interesting facts. And it really makes me wonder about all those die-hard Christians that say allowing gays to marry would be a horrible thing. As you can see from these facts, religion played a very little part in marriage until just recently.

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  5. P.S. When are you going to post some pics of the snow you are getting??

    Today it's in the 60s. I have no idea where winter is, but I am loving this warmer weather.

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  6. Caroline, I thought that was interesting, too. But be careful what you say here (not)!!! We don't want to offend (gimme a break) ANONYMOUS with our LIBERAL statements! I agree with you, of course.

    Pictures! I posted them just before I came here to respond to comment!

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  7. Pepper, I just realized I skipped over your comment! Sorry!

    I don't know if it would be good for me, but it's an interesting concept at the very least!

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  8. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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If you have something to say about it, just stick out your thumb, and I'll slow down so you can hop aboard! But hang on, 'cause I'm movin' on down the road!!! No time to waste!!!