Love in France

Bonjour,

The language of love is easily translated into the beautiful people that live in France.  It is easy to fall in love with France, both with the country, the way of life and the people.  Love in France is nothing less than expected, or the unexpected.  Love and relationships have changed drastically though out the years but are still as romantic as in the beginning.

During the medieval and renaissance periods, the bride’s wedding dress was created from an average dress and embellished with jewelry, embroidery, laces, and small ribbons, and beading.  Up until the 19^th century brides wore just about every color of dress for the ceremony, including black.  The color the bride decided to wear sometimes symbolized a past relationship or if the bride was widowed.  Typically the bride wore a blue dress to represent purity and it was later that a white wedding dress’s took the place of the blue gowns.

On the day of the wedding, it is French tradition that the groom meets his bride at her house in the morning of their wedding and escorts her to the wedding chapel.  At the chapel, their families are waiting with flowers and ribbons in celebration.  It is also common that the village children block the couple’s way with ribbons which the bride must cut to symbolize the obstacles they will overcome in their new life together.

After the ceremony rice or wheat, a symbol of prosperity and fertility, is showered over the couple as the walk out.  As the bridal couple leaves the chapel they walk through a flower arch or over leaves scattered in their path outside.

In today’s society French men are quite a bit different.  They are usually very straight forward.  If he's smiles at you and says that he likes you, then that's what it is. Love is not taboo in France today.  French people have very "tight" social groups, if you are friends go out together you will have more of a chance of dating each other.   

Although the French are formal, most initial dates start out quite informal.  In France couples love to walk around the city and sit at cafes and just simply chat.  An ideal first date in France would be very simple yet intimate.   

After getting to know someone for a period of time marriage becomes part of the equation.  Recently more and more couples choose not marry and other options of unions are beginning to surface.  The religious ceremonies no longer have the legal value that they once did.  Couples flock to city hall to be legally married in a less than spectacular wedding.  The couple receives a “Livret de famille.”  This is a common occurrence that is kept though out the marriage and entails the woman’s change of last name and information on the birth and death of their children.

Another form of marriage that is becoming popular are "PACS" (Pacte Civil de Solidarité).  PAC’s are contracts between two people (men and/or women) that has legal effects of marriage.  Within the PAC there is a common understanding on; common property, tax effects, social protection, but can be terminated like any other contract.

Love in France may have changed drastically over the decades, but the passion of falling in love under the cities lights is still nothing less than romantic.

Je t'aime

Love in Brazil

Olá, 

The hot temperature is not the only thing sizzling in Brazil; the intimacy and love burns deep within the steamy rich culture. 

Men in Brazil are master minds of love and affection.  Men take pride in initiating the affection and take control of the relationship quickly with a lucky lady.

In Brazil holding hands is a way of announcing that you are in a relationship.  If you do not hold hands when you are a “couple,” it is looked at as if you are hiding the relationship or that you are ashamed of the other person.  Holding hands in public shows that you are exclusive and that you are in a serious relationship.  This gesture stays strong even after a couple gets married.  10 fingers can be worth more than a thousand words in Brazil.

Brazilian couples and marriages are very loyal and strict.  Guys feel more confident about a woman's reputation and her potential for loyalty to him in a serious relationship when the woman does not go to bed on one of the first dates, and is more "traditional.”

Brazilian men and women tend to be much more “territorial” when it comes to relationships.  Couples are more appt to be exclusive all the time without talking to others of the opposite sex in public.  When couples become serious they spend every moment together making sure of the love for each other. 

By the time an engagement happens in Brazil, both families already know each other quite well.  Engagements often are quickly short before marriage.  Each person has been "adopted" by the other's family, the girl becomes best friends with her fiancé’s mom and the man “hangs out” with her dad on a regular basis.

Before a couple gets married they exclusively date anywhere from 3 to 10 years, and must be accepted by the other family.

Love in Brazil is very traditional compared to the United States.  Brazilians are aware and loyal to their own morals and to look for the people that share those morals.  Both Brazil and the United States are big enough and the people are diverse enough to accommodate you and your specific traditions within your family.

 Love in Brazil stresses to be happy with who you are and then find someone that compliments and completes you.  The affection you get from the person you love never ceases in Brazil.

abraços e beijos

Love in Ethiopia

Ethiopia has more than 80 different ethnic groups with different customs and traditions.  Even though there is such a variety traditions, many of the ethnic groups share similar views and values on the topic of love and marriage.

 Ethiopian men and women have very defined roles in society. Traditionally men are responsible for providing for the family and for dealing with family contact outside the house.  Men typically do not cook or shop for household goods because “housework” is viewed as a woman's job.  Women are responsible for domestic work and looking after the children.  Parents are stricter with their daughters and often give more freedom to sons.  This traditional view continues to be held in many areas of the country.

Marriages are often arranged by the parents and take a great deal of negation to make a commitment between the parents.  The boy's parents make contact with the perspective bride's parents through a mediator. The mediator goes to the home of the potential bride and asks if their daughter will marry the son of the other parents. The bride's parents often require conditions and trades; the mediator then takes the message to the groom’s parents, and then arranges a date for both parents to meet at a mutually convenient location. 

The parents then take a great deal of time to investigate up to five or seven generations back between the two families to make sure there is not blood relation because incest in forbidden. 

In many Ethiopian cultures Christian traditions are highly valued, so the bride must be a virgin when the marriage takes place. 

 When the parents have reached an agreement that the son and daughter will wed, they then set a wedding date.  The bride and groom first see each other on their wedding day. Both parents prepare food and drink for the wedding and invite guests.

 The marriage ceremony itself is a huge feast for many guests.  Dancing, music and gifts are all involved in the celebration that takes place at the groom’s house.  The bride’s family gives a dowry to the groom that is typically cases of money or cattle. 

 In rural Ethiopia match making and arranged marriages is still practiced.  The practice of match making and arranged marriages are common across ethnic and religious backgrounds with only small differences.

Many men and women who live in urban areas do not follow this tradition and do not have arranged marriages but it is important to marry someone the family approves of.

 Although many people continue to follow these traditional values, life is constantly evolving including the role of men and women.  

Love in Ethiopia continues to change and evolve, but is never lost.