NationStates Jolt Archive

What are some dating/courting customs, norms, traditions, etc. in your nation?


In Kurona Dating is usually free of parental rule. Anyone may date whether the parents like it or not (Though most observe ground rules based on religion, family rules etc) some may be arranged but this is a pretty rare occurrence along with arranged marriage. Usually on most dates, the girls and boys will dress up in their best, (even if it's not a formal date) Many girls will work to buy a new dress to impress the boy they like. Boys will either wear: A white shirt, slacks (w/or w/o Suspenders) or a suite. (a tux is usually on a very formal occasion) while girls will wear a long dress, but some wear the nicest Kimono they have. (some even go Victorian style). If it's raining, the boy is usually pressed to hold the umbrella for the lady, or give her a coat. (though many girls will assert themselves) if it's stormy they will likely stay in one or the other's home. A steady dating couple even best friends can sleep together and not have such a taboo put on it, unless it was a sexual act. It's custom for the boy to bring the girl some sort of gift (flowers, candy etc) though Going Dutch has become a recent trend.

Some common habits seen in the dating place have cropped up in recent years:

A boy may comfort a girl who is frightened (especially if it's stormy)
a dating couple may go out to sea together.
Star Gazing is a great activity.
4/10 High School couples neighbors etc. end up married
Taking your date to a church service regardless of denomination has also become something of a trend
Camping: this is particularly where the taboo free pre-marriage sleeping comes in.

Just a tidbit of Kurona's dating. These are more commonly found among teenagers and young adults more so than older adults. Older Adults are more likely to do a very simple and very casual date. Some times just "hanging out" is the simple form of dating.

Off hand reports have come in saying that in Clandonia men seeking suiters simply beat the woman over the head with a large club and then proceed with the wedding.

...or so I have heard..

Reports in the Islamic hell-hole of Chechnya report that women are taken from the age of ten, put in a large table cloth called a 'burka' and then forced to marry their cousin, years of inbreeding have produced a gene pool which could be described as a 'puddle'.

If the girl is not a virgin she is stoned to death.


Whereas in Clandonia most couples are introduced by families, for the lower classes there is a great deal of freedom in choosing a wife. For the middle classes men and women are chaperoned by choice of their parents acting as match makers, a dowry is often paid by the family of the bride to the grooms family who are expected to provide a sound income and house.

For the upper classes arrangements between aristocratic families may have been made before the children were even born. Most wish to preserve their families name and continue the tradition of land holding and service in the armed forces to the Crown as officers. Sometimes couples are invited to country houses and chaperoned by older middle aged men and women but not to discourage social interaction. Most aristocrats arrange for land, houses, financial assets to given over in a mutual agreement.

In Tellestania, high school students are only allowed to date after turning 16 years old. They aren't allowed to kiss until the third date, and nothing more than a peck on the cheek.
Adults couples (20+ years old) are allowed a peck on the lips after the third date.
In public, the couples are allowed to hold hands while walking down the street. They are not allowed to kiss in public.

I don't have a factbook yet, but I'll be adding this on when I get a chance.

The Mithran Galactic Empire is a very open society. The average Mithran typically begins dating at the age of 4,000 (Mithrans age very slowly) though some do start earlier. Who they date is completely open. Suitors include who they know, don't know, in their species, outside their species, outside their family and sometimes inside the family. They are not, however, capable of homosexuality. Billions of years of evolution has eliminated this gene from their structure.

When Mithrans are on their first date, they are compelled to demonstrate their affections as soon as possible. As a result, kissing and gropping is a common practice. After a number of dates, when the two on the date have decided they would like to spend their lives together, they go to a Mithra Priest and ask him or her to bind them in matrimony. This can be done more than once if they wish to renew their vows or the husband/wife desires to take a new partner.

Dating in Antanjyl, when it does happen, usually takes place outdoors, and both parties usually pay for their own keep. People usually dress casually, and most dates generally take place outdoors. The exception to this are festivals, primarily the fertility festival, which young couples often frequent. Most marriages take place before the age of twenty, so older dating is usually rarer than in other nations.

There is a decided lack of taboos, as long as you're not actually going-at-it in public. However, many couples still tend to get to know each other first.

In Adygea, fathers most commonly marry off their daughters to promising young men. Folks that live in cities are a fair bit more relaxed about who their chil'ns are dating. . .so long as it's not, say, their second cousin or a member of the same sex. Or a furfag—in which case they're stoned.

If a young man in Ordo Drakul wishes to show interest, he leaves the biggest thing he can kill at the object of his affection's doorstep, thus announcing his intent and frightening off other prospective suitors, or spur them into leaving bigger kills. If the other is interested, their parents will contact the donor and arrange an interview which, if passed, allows dating to proceed as normal. The initiator is expected to maintain the relationship and pays for both.

There are next to no dating taboos in Kahanistan. Homosexuality, furryism, polyamory, and BDSM are common in the Havenic Republic. However, heterosexual monogamy is still the norm, although over 40% of Kahanistanians have at least once had sex with a member of the same sex by age 21.

For a "traditional" (read: non-furry, straight, though much of this is true of others) date, the initiator (male or female) simply approaches the person they wish to date and strikes up a conversation, at the end of which the initiator expresses interest by asking for the target's phone number or email. (They generally see no point in stupid taboos.) The date is generally arranged within 24 to 72 hours.

Men as well as women freely express their feelings verbally and tactilely. Groping, while not illegal, is severely frowned upon and a woman groped by a man is considered justified in slapping, spraying, or tasering the offender. Lightly stroking the partner's face or hand is generally common practice on a date.

To reject an offer of a date, stating that one is in a relationship is effective, though less so if one's pursuer is a Mormon or other polygamist. In those cases a simple statement that one is not interested in meeting people or wishes to be left alone works.

This information is most accurate for secular individuals. For deeply religious people, standard religious rules of courtship apply. Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Satanism are common in Kahanistan. Religious refugees sometimes come from countries where their faiths are persecuted.

There are very strict dating rules in the Empire. To break these rules is punishable by death or by comletly dishonoring your family by being exhiled. to be exhiled is the worst of the two.

In the Empire only men are allowed to approach the opposite sex in manners that are concered with dating. It does not matter who the person is rich or poor, known or unknown, men are allowed to approach. However, Imperial soldiers are always given the right of way to the women before the male citizens. It is the highest honor to be an Imperial Soldier, however the training is rigourous and therefore only, 42% of the men that attempt make it. No women are allowed to join the service, so the only way for them to achieve honor is to have children with a soldier. Since the soldiers have no compmtion, except other soldiers, all of the most beautiful women are taken. this tends to make all soldiers, and their families very hansom, and all of the citizens very ugly. While in public the man is always to wear his best uniform, the woman what ever she pleases. Conduct in public is not rstricted. For the most part intiment conduct is done in private. once married the roles change and the women becomes the supieror. The few beautiful women not chosen by soldiers are fought over be citizen men. The women usually die in the struggle.

"Dating" is not practiced within the Nicksyllvanian Empire, as schools are segregated based upon gender. A Nicksyllvanian is also not allowed to start a relationship until he has proven his worth by serving his 3 year military term in which he is rewarded with a wife. Marriages are universally arranged, although prior to any marriages the to-be couple will pass each other in public in an arranged location, to see if they like how their partner looks.
It is possible for a man to have multiple wives, if he has proven himself worthy (which means aquiring the rank of officer in the military).
It is also common for the nobility to marry off their daughters to officers to improve their familial bloodline and to gain political power, it also provides a strong incentive for a nobles son to become a military officer as they will not be recognized as a noble until they have proven themselves in the eyes of their father (again through advancement in the military).
Women are usually married off at the ages 12-17, with those going to 25 considered too old to be wed off. (A Mans conscription term begins at the age 17, meaning he will be able to wed at 20).

Colonial Citizens are pretty much free to procreate and date as they wish, as long as they adhere to Nicksyllvanian Eugenics laws. Marriages between colonials are non-existant, as a Nicksyllvanian who sees a colonial he likes generally rapes, and bribes the local authorities to turn a blind eye.

Reports in the Islamic hell-hole of Chechnya report that women are taken from the age of ten, put in a large table cloth called a 'burka' and then forced to marry their cousin, years of inbreeding have produced a gene pool which could be described as a 'puddle'.

If the girl is not a virgin she is stoned to death.


Whereas in Clandonia most couples are introduced by families, for the lower classes there is a great deal of freedom in choosing a wife. For the middle classes men and women are chaperoned by choice of their parents acting as match makers, a dowry is often paid by the family of the bride to the grooms family who are expected to provide a sound income and house.

For the upper classes arrangements between aristocratic families may have been made before the children were even born. Most wish to preserve their families name and continue the tradition of land holding and service in the armed forces to the Crown as officers. Sometimes couples are invited to country houses and chaperoned by older middle aged men and women but not to discourage social interaction. Most aristocrats arrange for land, houses, financial assets to given over in a mutual agreement.

Major Lawls :D:D:D

I was only stating what I have 'heard'. Perhaps I should have added a disclaimer.

---

But to get a tinesy-bit more serious, dating customs in Chechnya...

It's a free land and teenagers do what teenagers do. More traditional people perfer for the guy to ask the girl's father's permission before going out with her. But mostly there is a strong (yet modernized) social code of civil decency which stems from both ethnic (Turkic-Chechen) culture and the moderate religious faith shared by the populous. In essence dating in Chechnya is practically as normal as one could expect from anywhere. There aren't really any big taboos or such that would easily take someone by surprise. Most people consider themselves fully modern and fully Islamic at the same time. If it weren't for all the mosques, a few religious looking people, and Islamic-based sayings spoken casually in coversation as if they were natural language proverbs (ex: Inshallah = If God Pleases/God Willing: same meaning as 'hopefully' ex2: Selam Aleykum - Aleykum Selam: very common greetings), a foreigner would never notice everyone was Islamic

Then again city populations are always more lenient than village populations. People living in villages are usually a lot more traditions based than those living in cities and familes/parents marrying off children is not uncommon. What also happens from time to time is children fleeing the family to run off to the city. Obviously this is considered a dishonor to the family but the state government keeps out of domestic affairs unless it must intervene (physical abuse for example). This divide sometimes causes comic culture clash when village people move to cities and is the subject of a number of popular sitcoms.

The few beautiful women not chosen by soldiers are fought over be citizen men. The women usually die in the struggle.

ROFL

Irysh-Finegall Dating is a mix of fairly modern and fairly archaic customs.
Most ritual requirements have been long forgotten for casual dating and while promiscuity is frowned upon both in men and women there is little taboo attached to pre-marital sex.

However formal courting for a perspective wife or husband involves distinct rights.

Men and women are forced to engage in mock combat for the affection of the object of their desire.

This combat is in fact a large brawl, the individuals will have to fight the women of their family to be allowed to leave--they will typically "bullring" the individual and the person must escape the circle.

Then they must break through a line of the perspective male in laws.
Originally the use of sticks(ranging from whipping switches to broom handles) were used by both men and women in the beating. However now this is rarely seen.
It is believed that failure to escape the circle or break the line is proof that the individual who fails is not actually in love. The family will not approve the marriage...or course this doesnt stop the couple from being married and there are instances where families will go softly on the lovers...there are also instances where lovers are beaten senseless, and occasionally to death.

In Places, Dating is only in the lower classes. The boys approach the Father with his request. A common practice is to refuse automatically if the boy is younger than 17. The boy must go through rigourous tests and challenges before he is considered, therefore it is not uncommon for a boy to marry the girl he first askes out. In the middle classes, there is usually a festival where the boys perform many of the same challenges and tests. The Father picks a few boys who he will allow his daughter to date and she choses from one of them. The boys are allowed to tell the fathers that they would like to date their daughters. Asking that is like saying, I will end up marrying your daughter. In the upper classes, the marriges are arranged before birth. There is absolutly no choice in the matter. Marrying your second or third cousin is very common, however marrying your first cousin is not permitted. Many girls do end up marrying their uncle however, to keep property in the family. In a few rare cases, girls have been known to marry their grandfather, great uncle, father or nephew however children are not permitted from these marriges. They are simply to pass down property. The girls usually marry again to have families. Marriage to a Princess is a rare thing. Princess usually marry princes in the region. If there are no men availble (this does include Kings) a few options are opened. The princess may become the second wife of a King. This usually occurs to a younger princess who will not inherit the throne. The princess may end up marrying her brother who will then inherit the throne. A not as rare as you may expect occasion may occur where two sisters will be married to their brother. If none of this happens, the princess then becomes availble to the very upper classes of society. Men fight with each other over this oppertunity, though limitations are in place. He will not become King, the children will stay with their mother, he will have no political power. The union is mainly to produce an heir. The princess will not have any power, she will not be able to control her country. Places is usually invaded during this time and must be denfended by her fellow nations as Places can not do anything about this. Generals often mobilize the army "in secret" to help defend Places though.

In Kemonomimi, the Anthropomorphic races are known for makeing love on dates, and sometimes they do it in public as the nation is more Liberal then most. Same Sex dateing is also common place.

Dating is fairly regular for young men and women in TPF. It is as simple as striking up a regular conservation and then asking the person out on a date. Any sort of sexual passion beyond kissing is rejected, and most couples attend church together. Same-sex dating is highly discouraged, and hate crimes against homosexuals are common, this also holds true to any sort of sexual deviancy. Most couple are together for at least two years, and over sixty percent of high school sweethearts end up married.

In Maraquean culture dating is usually frowned upon below the age of 13, when most children are considered adults. Beyond that, however, most children usually have a boyfriend/girlfriend or are in a serious relationship with someone.

To that end, most people in Maraque are already married by 18 years old, with 84% of the population reporting so.

During the period between 13-18, dating is considered a private affair and parents do not have much of a role in the process, although a small bit of guidance is not abnormal.

Typically an appropriate first date is in a laid back restaurant environment, possibly a diner. It is customary for the male to pay for the entire bill in an opposite sex date, or for both to split it equally in a same sex date.

Attire is usually casual; loose fitting jeans and a button-up silk or polyester shirt for males, and a light colored summer dress and sandals for females is usually the norm.

While people are alowed to do as they wish in Sumer in the element of relationships, strong nationalistic sentiment throughout the population tends to have traditional customs observed very strongly. The exception would be the very small minority of outside religious beliefs.

Traditional arangment for marriage in Sumer is a complex and involving process, and social norms are strictly kept to. For a male-female relationship the standards of courtship to marriage follow the same rigid procedure. The often young woman who decides she wishes a husband, legally required to be above the age of 17 but with parental or governmental written permission women as young as 12 may undertake this process. A young woman who decides she wishes a husband will approach the man, or men, she wishes to court to see if they are compatable for marriage. The introduction is personal and breif as the two exchange important information for them to continue, such as nominal information, full names, contact information. If the man approached is interested and of legal age, which is again 17 or as low as 12 with parental and governmental permission, then the couple will continue to the next aspect of the courtship.
Traditionally the young couple will embark on a twenty-four hour long courtship beginning sunrise of the last day of the month. The date itself is payed for by the woman who is seeking a husband and follows a fairly strict pattern. The two will meet just after breakfast at sunrise and will spend the day together within the city centre talking and getting to know eachother, visiting shops where the young woman will usually buy small gifts for the man. After a dinner usually cooked by the woman and her family, but not always, the couple will make an offering to Inanna, the goddess to love and procreation at sundown, and they will often spend the night camping together in the inner-city forested areas where they can talk and look upon the stars. At sunrise the two will have breakfast together and part ways for the time being. If the young woman decides she would like to go further with the man then she will contact him within a week and the two will arange a series of shorter gatherings, usually at family or religious events, over the course of the next few months. Marriages are held in Sumer in the seven day period before the first new moon following an equinox, and thus are generally mass celebrations held twice a year. At the wedding ceremony the two partners enter into a social and economic contract where they pledge to support eachother and their family names through mutual support, and the new husband provides the new bride with a dowry of sorts which she may do with as she wants regardless of the financial state of the couple or their families. This dowry may be financial or material, but will be agreed upon by the couple and their familes before the wedding takes place.
Homosexual relationships follow a simmilar pattern, with the exception of the approaching partner's gender not being an issue. Although male homosexuality is uncommon in Sumer, but not unaccecpted, female homosexuality is quite commonplace.

With the exception of temple priestesses of Inanna, young girls are expected to remain virgins until the first day of the first full month of their marriage, typically the night of the first new moon after the equinox. This is not a legal issue however it is strictly culturally binding and many young girls take it as a badge of honor to be the one their new husband settles down with. As polygamy is not illegal in Sumer it does happen, although monogamus marriages are the norm. It is not uncommon to see several women sharing one husband, or several husband sharing one wife. It can even at times be found to have two or more women married to eachother and sharing husbands, or even two or more men married to eachother and sharing wives, however these are not very common.

Sexuality in Sumer is approached on a different level as courtship and marriage, and should be looked upon as different by the outsider. While young women are strongly encouraged to retain their virginity until marriage, and almost exclusivly do, they are also strongly encouraged to participate in bonding activites with their peers in which two or more young women from the age of puberty until marriage will often participate in mutual sexual activity with eachother. This is possibly one of the reasons female homosexuality is such a common sight. Young women who hear the calling of faith and wish to join the ranks of Innana's preistesses at the age of 17, or as early as 15 with parental and governmental permission, are indoctrinated into the temple by the existing preistesses. The commitment to temple preistess to Inanna is a major one and is not taken lightly, as it precludes marriage or childbirth prior to the age of 35. Young preistesses undergo a lengthy initiation ritual whereas their virginity is ritually given to Inanna, after which they undertake the duties of the preistess, which include among other things a tightly regulated form of prostitution.
Young men after the age of 15 or older are encouraged to seek counsel with Inanna's preistesses on their developing relationship ideas, which can include sexual relations with the preistess as well as religious ritual and social interaction practice. In this way young men are expected to have experiance in their roles as husband by the time of their marriage, and young women are encouraged to work to show their worth as a wife to a prospective husband.

Thus courthip, relationship, and marriage customs in Sumer are fairly complex, and often misunderstood by foreign visitors or immigrants who have not taken the time to become accustomed to the culture.

Due to extreme amounts of sexual dimorphism in the Charr species their mating rituals are somewhat different than most - Charrian females are actually significantly biologically inferior to males in terms of strength and intellect. Whilst technically sentient, they are not generally intelligent enough to grasp modern concepts such as reading, writing or operating advanced technologies, and under law they are classified as 'defenceless' and must be placed under the protection of a male, be it her father or another pack member, or her life mate.

The concept of 'one night stands' and casual relationships do not really exist amongst the Charrian population of Tyria. Although sexual gratification is an important part of any relationship, so far as a Charr is concerned it is meaningless without a deep spiritual and emotional bonding. As such, they seek a long-term relationship from day one, and tend to be quite successful in locating their ideal life mates quickly. Because males can have more than one life mate, they may repeat these mating rituals many times over the course of their lives even if they find a life mate early on.

Typically Charr males spend more time courting the father of their desired mate than they do the female herself in the beginning. As the female is under the care of her pack, it is her father (or other guardian) that must first be convinced that a Charr is a worthy mate for his daughter, before the father will allow for them to be left alone together. This can be accomplished by relaying to the father stories of honourable deeds the Charr has performed during his life, by proving that he recount the various tenets of Charrian Fire Worship (and thus have an understanding of honour at its most basic level), and by demonstrating his strength and courage during a hunt. Physical combat is not generally considered to be an appropriate demonstration of strength and honour under these circumstances. In times when the father still doubts the honour of the male even after all of this, he can demand to speak to 'references' to determine if the male is being genuine.

With the father convinced of the prospective male's strength and honour, he will allow him to meet with his daughter alone. Unlike many human cultures who traditionally choose places such as restaurants or bars, Charr typically meet their 'dates' in primal locations, such as favourite woodland spots or in ceremonial forest clearings. Here they will eat something caught by the male, and once again the Charr must demonstrate his strength and courage, but he must also assert his dominance over the female. Sexual interaction on the very first meeting is common, as the ability for each mate to satisfy the other is one of the more important aspects of a life joining - sex is not a taboo as it is in other cultures, but neither is it as important.

Many more meetings such as this may take place over the course of several months, as each Charr gets to know the other physically, mentally and spiritually. Consumption of alcohol on these meetings is not generally considered acceptable - Charr believe that one cannot truly know a person under the influence of drugs, and so it would be foolhardy to meet your prospective life partner under these circumstances. It is customary for the male to provide a freshly-hunted meal to the female regularly, as a show of his ability to provide and to care for the female, as well as a sign of his respect for her family. Taking the female with him to his local Flame Temple is also a great show of honour and spirituality on the part of the male, and occurs increasingly as their relationship ages.

Assuming that both male and female are happy together and get along well, and assuming the female and her guardian are willing, after a time they may become joined as life mates during a ceremony at a Flame Temple. Here they will express their feelings and desires for each other for the Gods of Fire to hear, and ask for their strength to secure the future of their lifelong relationship and any offspring they may have. In front of their friends, families and any enemies they may have, the Flamekeeper will give them the blessings of the gods.

As a symbol of this divine support, each shall be branded - usually on the upper chest or lower arm - with the pack (family) crest of the other using a brand heated in the fires of the Flame Temple itself. With this done, the duty of protecting the female is legally passed over to her new life mate, and their respective packs become 'allied' or merged together. Due to the importance of family in Charr society, this itself is a major step for everybody involved, not just the couple themselves. A Charr male with a large number of life mates can be the focal point of a particularly large unity of packs, and if ten or more packs are united by a single male it legally becomes classified as a tribe, under his leadership. Establishing a new tribe is rare, but highly sought after as it brings with it great honour. It should be noted at this point that if either the male or female no longer wish to be with their respective life mate, their unity is dissolved and their packs no longer allied, but it is quite rare for this to happen (it should also be noted that this pack unity is not dissolved should one of the mates die unless one was killed by the other in a dishonourable fashion - they remain united forever, unless one of the mates specifically states that they wish to end their relationship).

If this is the first life mate the male has, it is customary for the female to move in to his pack's house with him, however it is perfectly acceptable for the male to move in to her pack house, as their families are essentially merged. If the male should take a second mate, however, it is expected for him to establish his own pack house for them to dwell in - a new generational home, in other words.

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Humans of Tyria, on the other hand, typically observe more 'conventional' mating rituals, closely comparable to Mediterranean Europe. As with Charr, family is very important to Tyrian humans, but unlike Charr both the male and female must acquaint themselves with each other's family, and not to the same degree as a Charr. Move conventional dates mark the early portion of their relationship, with typical activities such as dining at restaurants or drinking at bars. Male and female Tyrians are equals, both in law and in culture, and so whichever is the more 'dominant' personality will typically take charge in a relationship, if at all. Going Dutch is common, as is simply taking it in turns to buy meals. Tyrians are much more hesitant when it comes to matters of sex than Charr, and will typically wait for several dates before even talking about it.

Tyrian marriage is a strange cross between a traditional Western European wedding, and a Charrian joining ritual. They too must espouse their feelings for each other for their own gods to hear, and will be blessed accordingly by their priest. Although Tyrians use rings which are engraved with the crests of each other's family instead of being branded, the principle is the same - as soon as the rings are placed on the fingers, their two respective families become merged in much the same way, and they too will often move into generational houses. Although it is perfectly legal, Tyrians rarely engage in polygamous marriages like the Charr do, so it is quite common for the couple to live in their family houses for the rest of their lives.

In Bynamar, we let the parents decide on what their children can and can't do. Besides that they can really do whatever they feel like in our proud country. To a limit that is.

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In the Commonalitarianism it is customary to give your date a little paper hat on the first date. There are numerous gardens throughout the Commonalitarianism so botanical gardens and open air parks are common for people to meet on dates. Flowers are usually exchanged on the second date.

Well, in the Empire with its oddly liberal fascist styled government, dating follows the line sof everything else.

Dating = Intrest In Opposite Sex (99% Of The Time)

IIOS = Wish To Procreate

WTP = Procreation

Simple, yet it says so much... :D

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Dating in Pan-Arab Barronia is generally a very formal affair, beginning at the age of around 16-17.

Generally, most boys at this time will be part of the Military Service Corps, learning some sort of trade, along with discipline - those that aren't are usually in further education, studying for Advanced Diplomas, in preparation for a degree in the sciences or engineering. If they're not doing that, they're probably on the run. But we digress.

In the majority of occasions, the male will make the invitation, usually to a formal restaurant, and often by hand-delivered written invitation. The more talented members of the youth are known to make invitations to the various dances that are commonly held about the country. Most nights, it is not unusual to see 16-year-old couples walking down the street toward the local taxi-point on the canals with their dates in order to make their way by boat to their destination.

Males in the service generally wear dress uniform: a navy-blue nouveau jacket with matching trousers, white or cream shirt (dependant on division: generally non-trade troops wear white, whereas trade-learning soldiers wear cream), and navy-blue tie or bow tie according to destination. Otherwise, tailcoats are often seen when going to a dance, or a standard suit for a dinner. In cases of both, tail-coats are often worn.

Women usually wear either dress uniform (military service is not compulsory for women, but does offer a way to travel and be paid for it, so is usually taken up): navy-blue jacket, matching skirt, white or cream blouse, and navy-blue cravate necktie. In the case of dances or non-military, a long, usually flowing dress is worn, although on more extravagent occasions, dresses not unlike this (http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc61/LordBelacqua/NationStates/ChancelloressSummer.png), this (http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc61/LordBelacqua/NationStates/ChancelloressBlue.png) and this (http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc61/LordBelacqua/NationStates/Chancelloress.png) are not uncommon.

On all occasions, the male is expected to act impeccably, paying for all costs, arranging transport and times, offering a coat and holding umbrellas, etc. and - most importantly - no funny business.

Sex before marriage in Barronia is generally frowned upon, as culture believes that if a relationship can work without sex, then it can work with it (do note, usage of contraception is taught in Barronian schools).

If a relationship progresses to the point of marriage (as in most cases), the male is expected to approach the parents of the woman he wishes to marry, in order to gain their permission and blessing. Usually, by this point, he is out of the military, and marriage does not happen in most cases until the couple has been together for some 3 or 4 years.

Once parental blessing has been gained, the male is expected to make an extravagant and romantic proposal, which has often led to competitions between men to make the most extravagant proposal. One young naval commander arranged a display of ships forming the words "Lisa - Marry Me", before taking his partner to the air in a helicopter.

Marriage itself is usually expensive affair.

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In the Communal Union of Noveta, dating takes place on the premises that it is the male who must do whatever it is that he must do to impress the female as so to make her love him. That means that the male needs to display the level of interest that he has for the female in question and he usually does that through using whatever unique and implementable tactic for impression is available to him, and in many cases, it is bizarre. Upon winning the female over, it is expected that things rapidly move from a relationship that is not intimate to a relationship that is intimate. The reason why this apparently feministic form of dating exists in Noveta and has become an aspect of Novetan culture and tradition is because of the way Novetan society has developed since the dawn of the 20th Century.

In Enatai, people are usually free to date whomever they like, so long as the other person feels the same way about who they're dating. Though only one in four high school couples end up staying together after College, those that do usually stay married for the rest of their lives. It's viewed in Enatai as perfectly logical- The more you get to know someone you're interested in, usually the more you're interested in them.

Dating usually first occurs in people ages sixteen to twenty, but marriage and very strong relationships typically develop from the ages of twenty-four (being the age at which the government considers people 100% responsible for themselves and their own lives. Severing the ties, so to speak) to forty-five. Older than that is rare but nobody really seems to care how old you are unless you're a senior dating someone many, many, many years your junior, which is thought of as a bit odd but usually accepted.

It has become very common to see very brief examples of a romantic relationship in most colleges, and it's considered a big responsibility to be in a strong relationship with someone, especially for males. Some groups consider it a passage to manhood to find a girl, and a passage to womanhood to find a man.

However, as important as it sounds, most of the aspects of dating (asking to be boy/girlfriend, asking someone out, even sometimes proposals of marriage) are casual and recent studies show that 31% of all dates are things that people would do if they were merely friends, 88% of those friend-like dates being hanging out at a particular neighborhood location such as the mall or the park. Indeed it is often hard to tell a couple from friends, so inquiring about romance is usually done while talking only to one person, and to do it in front of someone else is considered rude.

Proposals of Marriage are never done over dinner, even in fancy restaurants, unless it is with a group of at least five or six, otherwise it's taken as a sign that marriage is not important to the proposer. This has led to some nasty breakups, and has been banned in some restaurants so that enraged lovers don't end up trashing the place.

There has been no record of any incest occurring anywhere within Enatai since its beginnings, so there is no real code as to what would happen during a case of Incest. People know what it is, sure, but actual thoughts on Incest are totally unknown due to its complete and total absence.

Sex before marriage is allowed so long as the man uses protection and the girl has herself checked out within a week of sexual activity. However, sex before marriage may be allowed, but it is certainly thought of as a sign of a lack of maturity, especially on the part of the male, who almost always is the one who takes the first step in having sex. It is thought that people who don't have sex before marriage are ready for the responsibility and the commitment, because they loved their significant others not for their sex appeal but for themselves. This also shows great wisdom and studies have shown that parents are 54% more likely to give their blessing for having a child and 85% more likely to give their blessing for a marriage if the couple has not yet had sex. Premarital pregnancy, especially in teens, is very embarrassing to all parties involved. Abortions are allowed but morning-after pills are highly recommended. Enatai's religious groups tend to be more progressive, recognizing Enatai as a secular state. As a result, there have been only three accounts of strongly outspoken Pro-life events, and only one of those included protesting outside of Enatai's lone abortion clinic.

Same-sex marriages are rare but they go unnoticed and those sorts of things are usually perfectly fine. Only one county in one state does not recognize same-sex marriage yet since they have to sort through a bunch of legal mumbo-jumbo to allow it. That being said, however, public acts of same-sex affection are not quite as widely accepted as heterosexual acts of affection.

Forced marriages due to things like families hooking up for the simple reason of family status are usually not illegal (unless of course physical or emotional trauma or torture forces the person into marriage), but in Enatai, such things are very, very rare due to the fact that it is so looked down upon (unless it's consensual) that several years ago a family moved out of Enatai completely (any and all relatives were strongly urged to get out) because they were so afraid that their family names would be forever destroyed as a result of a forced marriage. This does not happen often and in all of the cases performed by immigrants from other countries where such things do happen.

OUr dating customs tend to vary by colony and province. For example, in Pastoria, our Puritan colony, things tend to be stricter than in Unthea, our UUA colony.

It is traditional for the male to approach and contact the female, and to do otherwise is considered taboo in the Western region of Kirav proper. It is looked down upon to contact the desired woman by text messaging, or any other indirect means. Dates can be a few hours at the theatre, or multiple-day event, and our culture's liberality towards close physical contact** makes them typically a multiple-night event as well. Most dates occur in the late afternoon and last until midnight or later, when most white-collar buisnesses close, and theatres, pubs, and museums open. Typical dating relationships tend to last a long time, possibly decades, and many do result in marriage or the like. Attire for dates varies by whichever colony or province you are in. In Kirverda, one wears a buisness-casual type outfit, whereas informal clothing is customary in Aurada and the Vanilla Islands. In colder provinces, like the Antarctic Ocean Colony, the McIntyre Islands, or Subarctica, dates are almost always indoors, long in duration, and involve food & drink.

Kiravians typically begin to date at 13/14, and most become Irvinsiac (a prolonged engagement-type relationship) at 40.

The lyrics of Motley Crue, Guns N Roses and AC/DC songs are the basis for all of the dating customs in Pezalia.

Dating? What would be the point of dating for a species of asexual clones with no reproductive organs?!

The lyrics of Motley Crue, Guns N Roses and AC/DC songs are the basis for all of the dating customs in Pezalia.

You old romantic, you!

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Dating is a simple matter for most Bergians. Parents usually allow it by the age of 10 (Bergian children are notoriously precocious in this matter). Most female children are actually raised to be homosexual due to religious beliefs. Male-female dating is usually restricted to the oppressed christian, jew and muslim minorities.
On a regular Bergian date (female-female) either one of the parties can ask the other out. Like almost everything else in Bergelland, dating is usually done in outdoor areas. Common dating spots are the oceanic beaches, trains (train rides, actually) and public gardens. It is also common to see dating couples in ferry tours and practicing extreme sports together.
Polyamory is encouraged, and it is not uncommon to see groups of three or four girls dating, which might strike some people as outrageous.