The Secret History of Romantic Customs

The strange, hidden, historical roots of Valentine's Day rituals.by Rich SmithIn Austria, it was once customary for young women to dance with slices of apples tucked beneath their armpits. When they finished dancing, the women would then give the sweaty fruits to their crushes as a sign of affection.While this sounds incredibly hot to us now—almost pornographically hot—it is also weird. But it's not that much weirder than plucking a flower from the ground and giving it to somebody, o