The origins dating has it roots back in the middle-ages when young men and women desiring to get to know one another better with the hopes of one day finding a marriage mate would to congregate in groups to talk, meet and discuss upcoming events and happenings and even some personal problems. As a result, many young people found such dating occasions to be very fruitful as these so-called dating unions would result in marriage for many youths. Over the years, however, dating has evolved into the social, event-happening that it presently is known for.

As it is today, dating is a form of courtship involving of social activities or get-togethers, done by two persons with the purpose of each assessing the other's fittingness or suitableness as a potential partner in an intimate relationship or as a partner in marriage. While the term dating has many, many uses according to the modern vernacular, it usually refers to the act of meeting and engaging in some mutually agreed upon social activity or get-togethers in public, together, as a couple, as we have said, this has come to be called dating today.

The procedures and observances of dating, and the expressions used to describe dating, vary considerably from country to country. The most common sense dating has been described as two people trying out a association and discovering whether they're well-suited and liked-minded by going out together in public as a couple, and who may or may not yet be having sexual relations, and this period of dating, if you will, is sometimes seen as a predecessor or forerunner to engagement or actual marriage.

When it comes to dating manners things has become more and more relaxed during the twentieth and twenty first century. Nevertheless, there are considerable changes between social and personal ethics. Each culture around the world has its own particular patterns and procedure when it comes to dating.

For instance, when taking a young lady on a date years ago, going to an activity that will cost money (such as a movie or a meal), the man was expected to pay, especially on the first date. More recently however, the practice of "going Dutch" or Dutch Dating (splitting the expenses between the man and the woman) has become more common and acceptable.

On the other hand, in some countries, such as the Karen people in Burma and Thailand, women are expected to write love poetry and give gifts to win over the male counterparts. Frequency of dating varies by person and situation; among single persons actively seeking partners, 36% had been on no dates in the past three months, 13% had one date, 22% had two to four dates and 25% had five or more dates, according to one U.S. survey. While equality between the sexes has changed dating, men are generally expected to ask women out and pay for the first date.