Irish people have a long history of romantic gestures. In fact, the remains of St. Valentine are enshrined in a casket in a church in County Dublin. On Valentine’s day, every year, the casket is carried to the alter in a special mass.
There is a big difference between how romance was celebrated in old Ireland and how it’s celebrated today. Traditions such as exchanging Aran jumpers with your partner aren’t nearly as popular as they once were.
Traditions among brides were also very different. Irish brides would generally carry a handkerchief on her wedding day but this traditional is now largely condemned to history. It was meant to symbolise fertility.
Some traditions are still upheld and in Lisdoonvarna in County Clare there has been a matchmaking event held for over 150 years. It is the largest single’s matchmaking event in Europe.
Claddagh rings are still popular today but in times gone by their popularity was even greater.They were meant to show the love you had for your partner and represented true friendship and loyalty.
Modern men express their affection in very different ways. A romantic gesture could be something like letting your partner watch her favourite shows to improve her mood, or maybe picking her up after a ‘girl’s night out’.
In many ways, technology and online dating websites has standardised romance across the world. Irish people are now trying online dating and traditional Irish values are becoming less important. 2 in 5 people search for a person’s social profiles before even going on a date. The idea and importance of marriage has remained strong though, with 1 in 3 people saying that they are looking to find ‘the one’ in their next relationship.
Check out this infographic from Celtic Cross Online for more information about romance in Ireland through the ages.
https://www.celticcrossonline.com/category/mens-celtic-cross.html
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