From ‘marriage markets’ and group blind dates to carrying an umbrella – inside bizarre dating rituals around the world
ONLINE dating is so yesterday – as young lovers realise things can get so much fruitier when you’re face to face.
And the trend of meeting people in the flesh instead of via your phone has really taken off since Spanish TV star Vivy Lin posted a video about a craze among singletons for seeking partners in supermarkets — by using fruit in their trolleys to signal their availability.
An upside-down pineapple says you’re free, while a lettuce signals you’re keen for a one-night stand.
There were chaotic scenes at some Spanish stores after Vivy’s fruity posting, with cops called to restore order.
So how do singletons go about meeting up in other countries? We investigate . . .
CHINA
PARENTS of single youngsters gather at weekend “marriage markets” where they swap details of their children.
They put up posters with information on each singleton’s age, height, education, job, income, values and zodiac sign.
Most candidates are aged 25 to 30, and parents are keen to get them snapped up before they get too old.
There are dating schools to help the many single men — who vastly outnumber the women — to understand the opposite sex.
Men can also get one-on-one help from love coaches on everything from conversation to dancing.
JAPAN
THE modern way to date is in group blind dates called gokon.
Typically, a single man and woman organise the gokon meeting, usually over dinner, and each invites three or four eligible friends.
The male and female groups sit facing each other and chat, while also whispering with their colleagues about who they fancy.
Texting instead of whispering is also allowed, and the practice avoids the dangers of internet dating.
SOUTH KOREA
SINGLES meet in a practice called “sogaeting”, or blind dating.
Family members or friends make the introductions, or sometimes matchmaking agencies are used.
If a singleton likes someone, they must contact them immediately afterwards.
And once you become a couple, there is no let-up in intensity.
As well as anniversaries and Valentine’s Day, couples there also mark White Day in March and Pepero Day in November, and the 14th of every month is a small holiday for couples, each with a different theme.
They even get a couple’s ring after 100 days together that tells others they are taken.
ICELAND
THE big dating worry for Icelanders — in a country of just 330,000 people — is accidentally romancing someone you’re related to.
So even if they find someone in person, they must then check on a special app to see if 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 record was created with the intention of checking if your potential partner is a distant relative before things go any further.
If you are on a date and both have the app, you can bump your phones together to discover any unwanted familial connections.
LATIN AMERICA
AS soon as you start dating someone, you are dating their family, too.
Families there are incredibly tight-knit and protective, and it is vital a potential mate gets on the right side of their partner’s family.
Ways to do this include learning your partner’s primary language — there are a number of different ones spoken all over the region.
They also need to adapt to the family.
If someone is loud and loving, the partner must be too — and if one likes to dance after dinner, then the other must swiftly join in.
MYANMAR
YOUNG people often still live with their parents, whether they are single, in a relationship or even after they are married.
For this reason, privacy is hard to come by, so they have to come up with creative ways to show affection.
Many new couples go to a nearby park with an umbrella that they use to kiss behind.
They use the umbrella as a shield so that no one can see the smooch.
As a result, umbrellas are seen as a very important accessory to own and are often expensive to buy.