Dating is very exciting for many people, but for others it is a real horror. Today, however, we have many tools to ensure that these first love encounters take place in the way that suits us best. If we traveled back in time a few decades and told twenty-year-olds about dating sites and apps, they would tap their foreheads. Dating used to be completely different. How? We asked our interlocutors about this.
Dating in the Polish People’s Republic? “You didn’t go to any pub because you didn’t have money”
– First of all, in order to date, you had to meet someone – says Anna, a Warsaw native. – And they usually met at a disco, at school, at a camp or holiday or at work. To make an appointment with a newly met person, you had to call. If you had a landline phone. Or if not, from a telephone booth. Back then, there were no emails, text messages or dating websites. There was no Internet and no one even dreamed that there would be. Well, maybe in science fiction novels.
In smaller towns, the range of opportunities to meet someone was slightly more modest. Despite this, the youth coped very well. As Iwona says: – In our countryside, we met boys and girls usually at village parties. There were a lot of them, because they were organized almost every week in some village. Besides, at various weddings. Because now you go with a companion, whereas in the past you went without a couple.
When it came to dating, we went for a walk, bike ride, or maybe a bus or train to a larger town, but this was rare. Cars were selectively owned by some wealthier people and young people did not have access to them. You didn’t go to any pub because you didn’t have money. There were going out for ice cream or orangeade. But definitely not to a restaurant
– Iwona emphasizes and adds: – We could still go to the party together. Then you had to keep an eye on this person so that, God forbid, any boy or girl would hit on you. Sometimes you invited the other person to your home, but rarely. Unless the relationship was already that advanced. But in general, there were too many witnesses in the house, especially if the family had large children. So we would rather meet somewhere outside and go hand in hand to the forest or park. Of course, when you were holding this hand and someone you knew saw it, there was a frenzy at school and gossip: this one with this one and that one with this one.
What were dates like in the Polish People’s Republic? “White socks for men were an absolute hit”
When it comes to dating in big cities, the choice of places was greater. Anna perfectly remembers the most popular places at that time:
We usually went to the cinema (in Warsaw Relax or Atlantic was popular in the city center), to a party, to a cafe or restaurant. Or go home and listen to vinyl records. There were no pubs or pubs then. In a restaurant or cafe there is a small selection, certainly coffee, tea and some cake. There were some boring and unappetizing dishes in the restaurants, if you were lucky.
– If there were no funds, we went for a walk to the park, to the Old Town, for ice cream from a stand. Hortex at the center’s houses and the iconic Ambrosia in a cup were absolute café luxury. It was always good. But there were queues like everywhere, and you had to wait for a seat.
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If it was to be a one-on-one date, you had to organize a “free cottage”, which was the most difficult element. And if you didn’t have any ideas and strict parents, all you had to do was sit in the stairwell (there were no intercoms, so the doors were locked) or on a bench near the building.
– When it comes to the flowers you got back then, the choice was also small – says Anna. – Carnation, rose, gerbera. With a ribbon hanging sadly, now that I think about it. Bouquets were made for weddings or funerals. It was better in the summer, when you could get a bouquet of daisies, lilies of the valley or violets. And when it comes to chocolates, you could shine with Ptasim Mleczko Wedelowskie – if you were lucky, because they “threw” it somewhere. Outfit? Absolute freedom, but you had to be fashionable. Clothes were bought at bazaars, private sellers or Pewex. Who doesn’t remember paper jackets, espadrilles or white shoes? The absolute hit were white socks for men, Lacoste polo shirts and Wranglers. Sometimes I sewed myself – here I am thinking mainly about women.
How do you remember your dates a few decades ago? Are your memories similar or maybe it was completely different for you? We are very curious!
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
