Anbytarforum
Särskilda ämnen & övrigt => _Archives => Discussions in English => Archive - General questions => Ämnet startat av: Glen Johnson skrivet 2002-07-24, 06:50
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I am curious about how unmarried men and women socialized. If they didn't work together on the same farm, how did they meet? Was the church the center of social activity? I'm wondering where my great-grandmother first met her boyfriend -- the guy who fathered my grandfather.
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You don?t say if they lived in the country or in some town or village. However, most people lived in the country then.
Boys and girls met at school and at work.
The church was still a place where people met but not at all the only place. There was many other opportunities. There was the anti alcohol-movement that was very strong. There were markets every now and then in the nearest town. Here in Sweden dancing was very common in the countryside. Whenever young people had a chance they gathered in a barn or even at a crossroad. If there was someone around with an instrument they gathered booze for him and the dancing commenced. In some cases they had no instrument so somebody hummed the tune. Most guys drank a lot.
They were like people are even now. Boy seeks girl and vice versa.
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Well, this is not an easy matter. I will just add one more thing. In some places and in some categories there also was an special function, a man who had the task to contact a possible and suitable girl. In Swedish he was called böneman. My dictionary says beadsman or(wooer?s)proxy. I do not know if the translation is right.
Yours
Inge