Courting Traditions

Within Astorian culture there are specific traditions involved with attracting and courting a potential partner. While deviations in these traditions do occur, there are general patterns associated with courting within a specific Kingdom which originate from religious practices.

## **Courting Dynamics**

Usually, the main end goal in courting is to become permanent partners through religious joining, which is the Earth equivalent of marriage.

### **Sun Kingdom Courting**

Courting is typically a pre-planned process within the Sun Kingdom as joining is primarily a way to gain or maintain social standing within society. Generally the planning is arranged between two families, where their first born child will eventually join together once they reach maturity, planning may also applied to later children but it is less common to do so. In order for planning to move forward the families must agree on the long terms upon the pairs joining, and must be approved by any living grandparents.

This method of courting involves the families hosting a bi-yearly feast, called ***bonding feasts***, to allow the children to get to know each other, and celebrate the potential future the two families will share. These feasts begin occur when the children are both a minimum of 4 years old.

If a pair are planned for, the children are welcomed in both households and may come and go as they please, however they are not allowed to sleep in the same room until they are joined. Only once the couple are a minimum of 6 years old they can be joined officially.

For non-planned for siblings courting usually involved two individuals bonding over time to the point where they feel they should eventually be joined. If a couple feel this way they will need to make their courting official by writing a letter to their partners family detailing why they should eventually be joined.

Should the family reject this courting proposal their partner may ignore the rejection at the cost of being removed from their family in order to remain with their partner, or break up with them. Generally it is uncommon for courting proposals from non-planned siblings to be rejected.

When courting, both parties are required to wear a wristband or necklace with their partner's name on them to indicate they are taken, these accessories are referred to as ***bonding tokens,*** and this practice is used with both planned and non-planned couples.

Should a non-planned couple wish to break their courtship they must give their wristband or necklace back to their parents and explain why they are breaking up. Planned couples are not allowed to break their courtship.

### **Earth Kingdom Courting**

Within the Earth Kingdom joinings are seen as a way to improve social standing in society similarly to the Sun Kingdom, but also as a sign of dedication. This dedication is something only the individual can ultimately decide to follow, and as such courting not overtly influenced by an individuals family.

Courting often stems from a built up interest in another individual, if this interest reaches a point where they wish to eventually dedicate themselves to their potential partner through joining, then they will initiate a courting proposal by sending them a token of affection. A common token of affection may be a written poem, honey or flowers.

If their potential partner is receptive to the gift then they will spend more time with each other. Eventually when both couple feel ready, they can take the first step towards joining which comes in the form of gifting each other a silver ring to wear, these rings are referred to as ***wooing rings***. While wearing their rings they are considered officially courting and considered taken.

When the couple officiates their courting with their rings, it is customary to gain a positive relationship with their partners family by aiding with tasks or presenting them with gifts, but it is not considered a necessity.

### **Moon Kingdom Courting**

Typically the inhabitants within the Moon Kingdom place a large amount of emphasis on giving and having positive experiences within ones life, as such courting tends of focus around romance and finding ones romantic soul mate.

Generally soul mates can be either platonic or romantic, and are characterized as someone who's company you can always enjoy and someone you miss when they are not around. Originally the term referred to individuals who can harmonize with your soul frequency.

Individuals may initiate a courtship for any number of reasons, but this initiation is often done through asking their potential partner if they would be interested, if they are then the individual who initialized their courtship should enact the first romantic gesture.

After various romantic gestures from both parties, and couple activities such as camping, the couple can officially dedicate themselves to their partner when they both feel ready by wearing a black feather, or an accessory resembling a black feather, on their person to indicate they are taken.

The usual procedure for couples to break up usually involves one partner sending a warning letter expressing their feelings, and why they feel the relationship is not working, this letter is decorated with blue in some form, i.e. a blue wax seal, blue envelope, or blue scroll ribbon.

The receiving partner is then required to write a blue letter in return should they not want to break up, this return letter often includes an expression of their own feelings, and proposals on how to fix the issues, however, if the blue letter is ignored then the break up is considered official and both parties will usually discard their feathers.

## **Trivia**

* Work place courtships are the most common ways to find a partner within the Earth Kingdom.