Dating scene amongst the ancient community living on Taquile Island, Peru

It is with dress, hats in particular, that the residents venture to find their future spouses. For the women of Taquile Island, it is as simple as what colour top you have on (if it’s red and they are aged 17 or upwards, they’re married, if any other colour, they’re available).

The women know which men are on the market through the colour and form of their hat- it identifies his relationship status. The general rules are: a red and white hat means he is single, red and blue means he is engaged and all red means he is married.
The moment when the pom-pom on his hat is increasing, it’s getting bigger, it tells everybody he’s looking for love.

Variations are available to single men as well. They may change the direction of the hat’s tassel to indicate if they are looking for a relationship or not, just like your ‘relationship status’ on Facebook, or the ‘looking for…’ section on dating websites. It seems to me that these techniques of finding the ‘perfect match’ are, in essence, just more extensive versions of the hat system. Who’d have thought that our society’s eagerness for revealing the state of our love life to the world could be traced back to a time before the internet dating scene?

If is also customary for young teenager to have a trial marriage, like a live-in arrangement for few years, until they are ready to commit.

When a young couple is ready to get hitched, the man will knit the traditional cap to impress his girl’s parents, presenting the prospective father-in-law with the hat to prove his worth and show he is able to care for a family.

The potential in-laws test the young man’s skill by filling the headwear with water and if the fluid drips through he fails and must start again — or clear out — but if the threads are tight enough to contain the liquid, he gets the tick of approval.

Taquile women also demonstrate their weaving skills before approaching the altar by making a belt to serve as a contract for marriage featuring pictures of the things she expects from her husband — a summer and winter crop, a house with a strong roof, a cow for milk, a sharp knife, a good bucket to carry water, ample firewood.

Taquile women have long hair started when they were a child. They keep the cuttings of all their hair all over the years and when they found the man they like to commit to, out of all those hair cuttings, they create a a structural framework like a black thread (photo below) in knitting a wide belt they give to their future husband.

Once the couple is married the man wears his wide belt from the hair and waterproof cap to show he has a wife while the woman keeps her belt handy to remind the husband of his matrimonial responsibilities.

Wedding day is an all community affair and all people of 1600 -2000 attend the wedding. Each of the people will bring something to share in the celebration, either a cattle or food to eat.

While Taquile Island’s isolation has helped preserve its traditions, it has made life difficult for young men and women to find a spouse with a fresh supply of DNA needed to keep expanding the community’s shrinking gene pool.
What a very interesting culture.

My photo wearing my pom-pom

READ MORE ABOUT DR ZENAIDY CASTRO AS A DENTIST & HER COSMETIC DENTISTRY PRACTICE IN MELBOURNE