In Honor of Valentine’s Day– Courtship in Aviandria

This week I’m supposed to be sharing something about Aviandria, and since it is also Valentine’s Day this week, I thought I would kind of combine the two and talk a bit about courtship in Aviandria.

Courtship in Aviandria isn’t as strict or complicated as some places and times in history, but there are some rules young couples are expected to adhere to.

1- Both the boy and the girl must be sixteen years of age. Sixteen years old is considered the beginning of adulthood in Aviandria. Though most wait at least a couple of years before marrying, it becomes acceptable at the age of sixteen.

2- It is strongly encouraged to have parental permission. It is not required for the young man to ask the girl’s parents for permission to court their daughter, but many young men do in order to be polite and make a good impression. It is also standard for the young girl to ask her parents before going out with a young man up until she is either married or reaches the age of twenty. Until then, she is also expected to inform her parents who she is going to be with and, when possible, where they will be (a wise practice in any world or time).

3- The boy and the girl should stay in areas frequented by other people. They don’t necessarily have to make sure there is another person in sight at all times, but they should be in a place other people go enough that there is always the possibility someone could come along. Being in a very secluded place or in a room with a closed door would be a breach of conduct.

4- The boy is expected to return the girl to her home before dark. In the winter, it gets a fair bit more difficult to find time to spend together out and about, so often the boy ends up spending the evenings at the girl’s house with her family. When this happens, they tend to focus on getting to know one another more rather than just having fun together. This is likely why many have observed that winter relationships last longer and are stronger than summer ones in general (not always of course), hence the Aviandrian saying, “Summer fun may soon be done, but winter pleasure might last forever.” Also, the boy may or may not pick the girl up, but he is expected to take her home and make sure she gets in the door. To send her home alone would be considered very bad manners.

Other details of the courtship can vary quite a bit from place to place and couple to couple, but these rules are fairly universal in Aviandria. They seem to work. Couples that follow these rules seldom get into trouble, but they seem to enjoy the process of courtship as most young couples here enjoy dating. It seems to be a win for everyone.

How would you feel about these rules? Are there any rules you have had to follow while dating?