The unmarried men of the Balinese village of Tenganan take part in a coming-of-age ritual every May to attract the ladies. They fight inside an area, armed with the thorny leaves of the pandanus plant, using only a bamboo shield to protect them. Although it can get violent, the girls are usually eager to watch the action.

Victorian women were very subtle about saying they weren’t interested. If she didn’t like you, she would simply rest her fan on her left cheek. In fact, since talking things out wasn’t exactly an option back then, the ladies had an elaborate system of codes using their fans. If she was fanning slowly, she was taken. If she fanned quickly, she was on the market. If the fan was resting on the right cheek, you were a lucky guy.

In 19th century Austria, eligible ladies would keep an apple slice shoved up their armpits during dances. At the end of the event, the girl would give the fruit to the fellow she liked the most. If he liked her back, he would eat the apple.

Amish courtship is notoriously secretive. In some communities, neighbors don’t even know a wedding is happening until it’s announced in church a few weeks before. However, the nosy Amish have a way of finding out. Hot creamed celery is a main dish at their wedding feasts, so if a family has a lot of stalks in their garden, someone’s getting married.

When Welsh couples talk about spooning, they don’t mean cuddling. Since the 17th century, they have exchanged ‘love spoons,’ which are intricately carved wooden spoons, to show their affections.

18th century New England couples never had any privacy, because they always had a supervisor on their ‘dates.’ In order to exchange private words of affection from a safe distance, they would speak through a 6-foot-long hollow tube called the courting stick while family members were in the room to make sure nothing inappropriate, such as hand-holding, was going on.

In order for a man from the African Zulu tribe to court a woman, ‘Senior girls’ (older girls given position of authority) must decide if the younger girl is ready for a boyfriend. Then, the senior girl gives permission for the practice of ‘hlobonga.’ The couple spends the night together, and the man is required to get the girl home before sunrise, otherwise he must pay the penalty of a goat to her father. The girl’s father officially denies all knowledge of the ‘hlobonga,’ but he does build a special hut for them to meet in. Eventually, good ol’ dad acknowledges the suitor by asking her to “fetch some cattle from her lover.”

The Kickapoo tribe of Mexico have used whistling for decades to whisper sweet nothings to their lovers. It usually takes place inside the village during dusk, and is a way for the couple to plan their meet-up for the evening. Couples even have their own unique tones so they don’t get the calls mixed up between other people. Usually the whistling is just a short message, but full-length conversations can also take place.

In the African tribe of Wodaabe, the men are the ones who ‘dress to impress.’ They value beauty, and spend a lot of time grooming and adorning themselves in order to be attractive to women. During the courtship festival called “Gerewol,” the men dress up to the nines and dance in a competition called “Yaake.” The women judges choose the winners based on their skills and good looks.

The Puritans thought wedding rings were frivolous, and instead a young bride-to-be would receive a thimble from her beau. She then could use the tool to sew things for their new home, and also cut the bottom off of it to wear as a practical wedding ring.

During the Sisters’ Meal Festival in Southwest China, which is their version of Valentine’s Day, the girls dress ornately and cook sticky rice in 4 different colors. The colors represent the 4 main seasons of the year, and the give the rice rolled in a handkerchief to suitors who have serenaded them. The man sifts through the rice, and if he finds 2 red chopsticks, it means the girl likes him back. Only one chopstick means he has been politely turned down. A garlic or chili means the girl was kind of rude about her rejection, and a girl who hasn’t made up her mind will put in a pine needle.