Getting Engaged

Front:
LOVE HONOLULU 9. 29 1991 96820 WALK ER

Back:
GETTING ENGAGED First Day of Issue: May 9, 1991 First Issue Location: Honolulu, Hawaii “Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it.” The Song of Solomon in the Old Testament was a poetic tribute to the overpowering emotion of romantic love. Yet in Biblical times, parents in many cultures selected spouses for their marriageable children. Parents often selected partners on the basis of material assets, social standing or religion. Ancient Romans exchanged betrothal rings and wore them on the third finger of the left hand, believing this finger was somehow directly con- nected to the heart. The betrothal ceremony, where the two individuals promised formally to marry, eventually became a solemn and celebrated social custom. Both customs survive in modern western society as the engage- ment. Since most couples today seek “love matches," they infuse this period with as much romance and excite- ment as possible. The betrothal ceremony of old has evolved into the modern engagement party, where the happy couple or their parents announce to friends and family their intention to wed. No. 91-25 ©1991 The Maximum Card Collection A division of Unicover Corporation • Cheyenne, WY 82008-0007 ® Original painting for the Maximum Card by Ken Walker