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History’s Weirdest (But Oddly Effective) Dating Rituals
From armpit apples to fan flirting, some of these love rituals really worked
Damn those Victorians and their horrendous mistletoe. No, I am not anti-Christmas. But I was unfortunate enough to be at a drunken holiday party one year and standing under the dreaded plant. That’s when some arse (who I never met) decided that a parasitic plant gave him a reason to act parasitically.
I have since hated mistletoe. And drunken men at Christmas parties.
But other dating traditions are kind of sweet. And while stealing a kiss is NOT recommended, some of these love rituals from our distant past do have merit.
Armpit apples: How to increase sexual desire
Want to know if you and that cute Bumble guy will hit it off? Well, you could save yourself a lot of time with endless texting, and instead, take a big whiff of his armpits. Scientists have long known the importance of smell in sexual attraction. (Creepy to think about, but our noses prevent us from having sex with our cousin.)
Called chemosignals or pheromones, armpit sweat contains androstadienone — a steroid compound produced in the armpit that communicates a potential mate’s genetic compatibility and…
