Courting Candles

[Cthulhu]

Attached is the "Courting Candle".

The idea is that the male would-be suitor has a finite amount of time based upon the life of the candle - and the mad whims of the family patriarch. You see if the father approved of the young man here can extend the amount of time by rotating the cork in the spiral. The time is set to when the candle flame reaches the metal. If the old man hates you he'll run it all the way down so less candle burn time will be allowed.

Ruh roh...teh ebil paytreearky!

Found this little knockw knack at a shop here in Nauvoo IL on my way to Vermont. Apparently an old Mormon custom back in the day. I personally find it amusing.

What other curious courting rituals exist I wonder?



Sent from my evil cell phone.

[Helena]

Bundling

[Standing Wolf]

When I was putting together some genealogical data many years ago, I was surprised to discover that my paternal grandfather was born just a couple of months after his parents were married. Not exactly an earth-shaking scenario...except that the family at that time were members of the Old Order Amish. A straighter-laced bunch it would be hard to imagine. Some of my Amish (and recovering Amish) cousins informed me that among that sect, as long as a man and woman are formally engaged, most families do not have a problem with a little clandestine kanoodling. As long as the prospective bridegroom is out of the house and down the road before sun-up, what happens during the night is the couple's own business.