8. No refunds, unless her dad hates you.

In ancient Mesopotamia, men had to pay a “bride price” to reserve a woman for marriage. If he was caught looking at other potential wives he could expect no refund. However, if the bride-to-be’s father disapproved of the match the man could expect a full refund.

7. Stay in your lane, buddy.

Colonial Americans had quite the interesting way to “met the parents” back in the day. A courting couple would be invited to share a bed in the parents house. The catch was they had a long wooden plank running between them, in order to “preserve their purity”. Couples who didn’t “hop lanes” were considered especially ready for marriage.

6. Pretty awkward symbolism.

Finns way back when weren’t ones for subtlety. Single Finnish ladies used to wear knife sheaths on their girdles. Interested men would either buy or make their own knives to, erm, “slip inside her waiting sheath” in hopes that she would accept him as her husband.

5. Stick it to ya.

Historically, many households were crammed with large extended families. This was a headache for anyone who wanted a little private conversation with his or her date. Enter the “courting stick”, a long hollow tube that let couples talk privately across the room.

4. Fits like a glove.

An old timey English tradition, men would give prospective dates a pair of new gloves. If she wore them to church on Sunday, it was a sign that she was interested in him.

3. A fresh faced man? No thanks!

Women of the Atayal tribes in Taiwan didn’t want a man unless he had just the right amount of facial tattoos. The tattoos proved he was a good warrior and hunter, which ment he’d make a good husband.

2. Mystery Dinner Theatre.

The Amish were, and still are, very private when it comes to matters such as courtship or marriage. Often times, the entire family managed to keep an upcoming wedding secret until the day of the event. There was one way snooping neighbors could find out if a certain eligible couple was about to tie the knot: Look in the garden. Since celery soup is a traditional wedding feast dish, a family who suddenly plants a whole lot of celery may just have a wedding coming up.

1. Love is apparently tasteless.

Back in Austria, women had a rather “unique” way of letting a man know she was interested. She would cut a wedge of an apple and shove it up under her armpit. After a night of heavy dancing, she would offer the piece of apple to her bachelor of choice. If he accepted her advances he would show it by, well, eating her sweaty apple. Whoever said “love makes us do crazy things” wasn’t kidding.


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