Cupid. Valentine and Lurve Information from around the globe

[Zoonie 0]

Kissing is
considered to be an ancient human interaction, as old as humanity
itself. Some scientists have theorised that it was originally inspired
by mothers passing food to their babies with their mouths, and
subsequently affection became associated with touching lips.


Yet there are some cultures that do not engage in kissing at all.
Kissing is apparently unknown among the Somalians, the Lepcha of Sikkim
and the Sirono of Bolivia. The people of Mangia Island in the South
Pacific did not do it until Europeans arrived in the 1700s. When the
Thongi of South Africa saw whites kissing, they apparently said "Look
at them - they eat each others saliva and dirt". Adults in some
Amazonian tribes did not kiss, though the children did.


Still other cultures kiss without using their lips. The Inuit
practice the "Eskimo Kiss" by rubbing noses, or putting noses together
and inhaling each other's breath. This kiss is also performed by
numerous Pacific Islander cultures, including the Maori of New Zealand,
where it is a ritual greeting.

In ancient India, sanskrit writings describe a similar method of
kissing, and anthropologists have suggested that India is actually the
birthplace of kissing as we know it today. Indian sculptures are the
first human cultural artifact to depict kissing, and the theory is that
the idea of "exchanging breath" led to locking lips.


Interesting, Indian films today do not show kissing at all.


In ancient China, kissing was considered to be on a par with
coitus, and thus was confined to the bedroom. This led European
explorers to conclude that the Chinese did not kiss at all.


In strict Muslim countries public kissing does not occur, and in
some cases people have been arrested for kissing outside the home.


In Vietnam, spouses do not kiss outside the home, and not in front
of the children. And parents rarely kiss children, except when they are
small babies.


In some areas of Italy and other Mediterranean countries, friends
greet each other by kissing on the mouth, men and women both. Arab men
kiss each other on the cheek in greeting. In France, protocol demands a
kiss on each cheek, while the Dutch throw in a third one for good luck.


In the animal world, the highly sexed Bonobo chimpanzees are known
to kiss each other passionately. And orangutans in Borneo have learnt
to kiss each other
by observing humans.



I like kissing.

I kiss my family, my friends (on the cheeks) and I kiss babies if I get the chance, not that I do very often, oh and Socks occasionally gets a peck on the top of his head

[Zoonie 0]

1. Men who kiss their wives in the morning live five years longer than those who don't.

2.
People are more likely to tilt their heads to the right when kissing
instead of the left (65 percent of people go to the right!)

3.
When it comes to doing the deed early in the relationship, 78 percent
of women would decline an intimate rendezvous if they had not shaved
their legs or underarms.

4. Feminist women are more likely than other females to be in a romantic relationship.

5. Two-thirds of people report that they fall in love with someone they've known for some time vs. someone that they just met.

6. There's a reason why office romances occur: The single biggest predictor of love is proximity.

7.
Falling in love can induce a calming effect on the body and mind and
raises levels of nerve growth factor for about a year, which helps to
restore the nervous system and improves the lover's memory.

8.
Love can also exert the same stress on your body as deep fear. You see
the same physiological responses — pupil dilation, sweaty palms, and
increased heart rate.

9. Brain scans show that people who view
photos of a beloved experience an activation of the caudate — the part
of the brain involving cravings.

10. The women of the Tiwi tribe in the South Pacific are married at birth.

11.
The "Love Detector" service from Korean cell phone operator KTF uses
technology that is supposed to analyze voice patterns to see if a lover
is speaking honestly and with affection. Users later receive an
analysis of the conversation delivered through text message that breaks
down the amount of affection, surprise, concentration and honesty of
the other speaker.

12. Eleven percent of women have gone online and done research on a
person they were dating or were about to meet, versus seven percent of
men.

13. Couples' personalities converge over time to make partners more and more similar.

14. The oldest known love song was written 4,000 years ago and comes from an area between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.

15.
The tradition of the diamond engagement ring comes from Archduke
Maximillian of Austria who, in the 15th century, gave a diamond ring to
his fiancée, Mary of Burgundy.

16. Forty-three percent of women prefer their partners never sign "love" to a card unless they are ready for commitment.

17.
People who are newly in love produce decreased levels of the hormone
serotonin — as low as levels seen in people with obsessive-compulsive
disorder. Perhaps that's why it's so easy to feel obsessed when you're
smitten.

18. Philadelphia International Airport finished as
the No. 1 best airport for making a love connection, according to an
online survey.

19. According to mathematical theory, we should
date a dozen people before choosing a long-term partner; that provides
the best chance that you'll make a love match.

20. A man's beard grows fastest when he anticipates sex.

21. Every Valentine's Day, Verona, the Italian city where Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet took place, receives around 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet.

22.
When we get dumped, for a period of time we love the person who
rejected us even more, says Dr. Helen Fisher of Rutgers University and
author of Why We Love. The brain regions that lit up when we were in a happy union continue to be active.

23. Familiarity breeds comfort and closeness … and romance.

24. One in five long-term love relationships began with one or both partners being involved with others.

25.
OK, this one may not surprise you, but we had to share it: Having a
romantic relationship makes both genders happier. The stronger the
commitment, the greater the happiness!

Laura Schaefer is the author of Man with Farm Seeks Woman with Tractor.

[Zoonie 0]

more fun facts on love


a fairly passionate kiss burns an average of 9 calories
the average person will spend an estimated 20,160 minutes kissing in their lifetime
experts insist that the average person falls in love seven times before marriage
two out of five people marry their first love
men who kiss their wives in the morning live five years longer than those who don't
philadelphia international airport finished as the number one best
airport for making a love connection, according to an online survey
the italian city of verona, where shakespeare's lovers romeo and
juliet lived, receives about 1,000 letters addressed to juliet every
valentine's day
the record for most kisses in a movie is 127 in don juan (1927)
the warmth and closeness of unconditional love of a mother leaves
a mark on an infant well before the infant has the understanding and
capacity to describe the experience. but the comfort and security of
the mother’s love is felt and remembered, and each person has the
subconscious hope that it can, some day, be replicated.
falling in love can induce a calming effect on the body and mind
and raises levels of nerve growth factor for about a year, which helps
to restore the nervous system and improves the lover's memory.
a survey revealed that more than 10,000 marriages a year can be
directly traced back to romances that begin during coffee breaks
two-thirds of people report that they fall in love with someone they've known for some time vs. someone that they just met
plato believed that true love created the feeling of wholeness and completeness through the unity of soul mates.
the average woman has 2-3 close friends that she trusts completely and confide anything in.
the single biggest predictor of love is proximity
the romantic canadian porcupines kiss one another on the lips
a wood cut dated 1614 and copied from a stained glass window in a
berne, switzerland cathedral depicts the pretzel used as a nuptial knot
in a royal marriage.
puppy love: pets provide unconditional love and companionship for
people of all ages. numerous studies have shown that dogs can help
lower blood pressure, ease the loneliness of the elderly in nursing
homes, and help children overcome allergies.
in 1995, erika friedman at the university of maryland hospital
conducted a study involving 392 people, which found that heart attack
patients with dogs were eight times more likely to be alive a year
later than people without dogs.
the oldest known love song was written 4,000 years ago and comes from an area between the tigris and euphrates rivers

[inu-kijo 0]

very informative!!!

i "lurve" it!!!!!

[inu-kijo 0]

I know every one now a days thinks of Cupid as the cute little cheeky Cherub. But actually cupid is much closer to a Putto, (which is a fleshy baby type figure with wings that was revived by Donatello the sculptor and was used quite frequently during the Resonance )
Cherubs are generally guardian warriors that protects God's domain. Cherubims are actually noted in the bible guarding the garden of Eve with swords of flame!

Don't think Cupid would be so cute holding a sword of flame, now would he?
; P

[mayski 0]

WOW...i didn't know there was different types of 'kisses'...THANKS for sharing!!

[Bee1 0]

very informative and very interesting

[Bee1 0]

VALENTINE'S DAY ALTERNATIVES

White Day ( Howaito dē?, a Japanese wasei-eigo) is a holiday celebrated on March 14, one month after Valentine's Day. In Japan this day is a widespread holiday, much like Valentine's Day. It is also observed in South Korea and Taiwan.

White Day was first celebrated in 1978 in Japan. It was started by the National Confectionery Industry Association as an "answer day" to Valentine's Day on the grounds that men should pay back the women who gave them chocolate and other gifts on Valentine's Day. In 1977 a Fukuoka-based confectionery company, Ishimura Manseido , marketed marshmallows to men on March 14, calling it Marshmallow Day

Soon thereafter, confectionery companies began marketing white chocolate. Now, men give both white and dark chocolate, as well as other edible and non-edible gifts, such as jewelry or objects of sentimental value, or white clothing like lingerie, to women from whom they received chocolate on Valentine's Day one month earlier. If the chocolate given to him was giri-choco, the man, likewise, may not be expressing actual romantic interest, but rather a social obligation.

In Japan, Valentine's Day is observed by females who present chocolate gifts (either store-bought or handmade), usually to a male, as an expression of love. The handmade chocolate is usually preferred by the receiver, because it is a sign that the receiving male is the girl's "only one". On White Day, the converse happens: males who received a honmei-choco ( "chocolate of love") or giri-choco ( "courtesy chocolate") on Valentine's Day are expected to return the favor by giving gifts, usually more expensive. Traditionally, popular White Day gifts are cookies, jewellery, white chocolate, white lingerie and marshmallows.
Sometimes the term sanbai gaeshi (, literally, "thrice the return") is used to describe the generally recited rule that the return gift should be two to three times the cost of the Valentine's gift.



Black Day (April 14) is a South Korean informal tradition for single people (a.k.a. Unit Solo/Solo Regiment, lee: to get together and eat jajangmyeon (noodles with black bean sauce), sometimes a white sauce is mixed for those who did not celebrate White Day.

The idea is that those who did not give or receive gifts on Valentine's Day (February 14) or White Day (March 14) can get together and eat jajangmyeon , white Korean noodles with black bean sauce (hence the name), to celebrate their singledom.

[Frannie 0]

to kiss:

Arabic: يُقَبِّل

Czech: políbit, líbat
Danish: kysse
Dutch: kussen
Estonian: suudlema
Finnish: suudella
French: (s')embrasser
German: küssen
Greek: φιλώ
Hungarian: csókol(ódzik)
Icelandic: kyssa
Indonesian: mencium
Italian: baciare
Latvian: skūpstīt; skūpstīties
Lithuanian: bučiuoti(s)
Norwegian: kysse
Polish: całować
Portuguese (Brazil): beijar
Portuguese (Portugal): beijar
Romanian: a săruta
Russian: целовать(ся)
Slovak: pobozkať
Slovenian: poljubiti
Spanish: besar
Swedish: kyssa
Turkish: öpmek, öpüşmek

(I think)

[Wish Fairy 0]

I LOVE YOU in MANY LANGUAGES
(please note I have inserted the Austrialian one )
afrikaans Ek het jou liefe
arabic Ana Behibak (to a male)
arabic Ana Behibek (to a female)
AUSTRALIAN “’ave a beer” 8)
batak Holong rohangku di ho
bolivian Quechua qanta munani
bulgarian Obicham te
burmese chit pa de
cambodian Bon sro lanh oon
cambodian kh_nhaum soro_lahn nhee_ah
canadian French Sh'teme (spoken, sounds like this)
cantonese Ngo oi ney
catalan T'estim (mallorcan)
chinese Wo ie ni
corsican Ti tengu cara (to female) / Ti tengu caru (to male)
croatian LJUBim te
czech miluji te
czech MILUJU TE! (colloquial form)
danish Jeg elsker dig
dutch Ik hou van jou / Ik ben verliefd op je
esperanto Mi amas vin
estonian Ma armastan sind
filipino Mahal ka ta
filipino Iniibig Kita
finnish Mina" rakastan sinua
flemish Ik zie oe geerne
french Je t'aime
gaelic Ta gra agam ort
german Ich liebe Dich
greek s' agapo
gujrati Hoon tane pyar karoochhoon.
hebrew Ani ohev otach (male to female)
hebrew Ani ohev otcha (male to male)
hebrew Ani ohevet otach (female to female)
hebrew Ani ohevet otcha (female to male)
hindi Mai tumse pyar karta hoo
hungarian Szeretlek / Szeretlek te'ged
icelandic Eg elska thig
indonesian Saja kasih saudari / Saya Cinta Kamu / Saya cinta padamu / Aku cinta padamu
irish taim i' ngra leat
italian ti amo (if it's a relationship/lover/spouse)
japanese Kimi o ai shiteru / Watakushi-wa anata-wo ai shimasu
klingon qabang
korean Tangsinul sarang ha yo / Nanun tangshinul sarang hamnida
kurdish Ez te hezdikhem (?)
latin Te amo / Vos amo
latvian Es milu tevi (Pronounced "Ess tevy meeloo")
lithuanian TAVE MYLIU (ta-ve mee-lyu)
malay Saya cintamu / Saya sayangmu
malay/Indonesian Aku sayang enkow / Sayah Chantikan Awah
mandarin Wo ai ni
mohawk Konoronhkwa
navaho Ayor anosh'ni
norwegian Eg elskar deg (Nynorsk)
persian Tora dost daram
polish Kocham Cie / Ja cie kocham
portuguese Amo-te / Eu te amo (brazilian Portuguese)
punjabi Mai taunu pyar karda.
romanian Te iu besc
russian Ya vas liubliu / ya liubliu tebia / ya tebia liubliu / Ya polyubeel tebya.
serbian LUBim te.
serbocroatian volim te
slovak lubim ta
spanish Te quiero / Te amo
srilankan Mama Oyata Arderyi
swahili Naku penda (followed by the person's name)
swedish Jag a"lskar dig
syrian/Lebanes BHEBBEK (to a female) BHEBBAK (to a male)
tagalog Mahal kita
thai Ch'an Rak Khun/ Phom Rak Khun
tunisian Ha eh bak *
turkish Seni seviyo*rum (o* means o)
ukrainian ja tebe koKHAju (real true love)
urdu Mujhe tumse mohabbat hai
vietnamese Em ye^u anh (woman to man)
vietnamese Toi yeu em / Anh ye^u em (man to woman)
vulcan Wani ra yana ro aisha
welsh 'Rwy'n dy garu di.
welsh Yr wyf i yn dy garu di (chwi)
yiddish Ich libe dich / Ich han dich lib
yugoslavian Ya te volim[i]

[inu-kijo 0]

I love how everyone is contributing their own little bit of information to the thread, its so fun, and interesting!

; D

[Zoonie 0]

Oooh look Kijo, we're Royal Pets now and you have that lovely new siggie.

My today's real life Love Is...

is your husband bringing you a mug of hot tea in pet when he has to go to work and you get to snuggle in the duvet and go back to sleep!

[boosmommy 0]

Little late, but, I loved reading all this interesting info. Thanks for posting it Gill.