International Flirting Week – February 9-15, 2025

History of International Flirting Week

The word ‘flirting’ originated from ‘fleurette,’ which was first used in some 16th-century poems. It is a French word that means ‘try to seduce by the dropping of flower petals.’

In the year 1797, Charles Francis Badini created the Original Fanology or Ladies’ Conversation Fan in London. The hand fan was used predominantly as a flirtation tool in Victorian England to exchange messages between interested parties. This was almost a sign language that had come into being through the use of hand fans. There were specific messages imparted by various gestures. For example, placing the fan near the heart meant ‘I love you,’ and opening the fan wide meant ‘wait for me.’ Both men and women carried these fans to balls or get-togethers and everybody understood the gestures.

John H. Young published the book “Our Deportment: Or the Manners, Conduct and Dress of the Most Refined” in 1881 to provide guidelines to young Victorian men and women on manners and etiquette during courtship. Courtship now would refer to the initial period of flirtation and getting to know each other. One of the guidelines was that “gentlemen who did not contemplate matrimony should not pay too exclusive attention to any particular lady.” It was also not considered good etiquette to show overt signs of affection.

In the 20th century during World War II, anthropologist Margaret Mead observed how flirting was happening between the American soldiers and the British women. There was a miscommunication in what each of them expected from the other due to cultural differences.