Figured I should add these little things.
~~In Yyestalla, male (and some female) children are given an earring by their parents upon birth. This earring is fixed in place and can't be removed. The metal and style indicates hopes they have for their child.
Gold earrings signify wishes for wealth, in all ways wealth can be had. Wealth in friends, wealth in wisdom, etc.
Silver earrings signify health and longevity. A child that is born ill typically will recieve a silver earring to ward off sickness.
Brass earrings are to bring luck and humor to a child's life. A child with a crying problem will usually recieve a brass earring.
Platinum earrings are hard to come by except in royal families. They signify several things, including the hope that the child will someday become a powerful person. There's an undertone of health wishes in this metal as well.
~~Kisses in Yyestalla mean very specific things depending on where they're placed. This tradition stems mostly from Meiyestallia.
A kiss on the lips is reserved for the married or those deeply in love.
A kiss on the cheek is mostly from sibling to sibling, male or female. It's common for siblings to kiss each other on the cheek until they're past their twenties.
A kiss on the hand is a gesture of respect rather than courtship. Royalty and higher-ups are used to recieving this as a gesture from a loyal vassal.
A kiss just above the heart is a sexual gesture, most often reserved for newlyweds.
A kiss on the forehead is the most powerful kind of kiss. The literal meaning to this kiss is "You are precious to me". It can go from lovers, mother or father to child, dear close friends, or even a king to his most loyal knight. This kiss accompanies many funerary rites and ceremonial occasions.
~~Other gestures
A hand placed on another person's cheek, fingertips facing the eyes, is taken to mean a deep sort of sympathy and compassion. The hand is placed where tears might fall, thus suggesting "I wish you wouldn't have to cry."
~~Flowers
As a means of courtship, flowers in Yyestalla are preferrably recieved single. Too many is said to cheapen the individual beauty of the flower.
Roses are reserved solely for funerals. Depending on the color, they can signify different relations to the deceased.
Blue roses, found in Irkania and Miatalla, mean that the deceased was a close friend.
Yellow roses, found almost everywhere on Yyestalla, mean the deceased was a relative, whether distant or close.
Green roses (yes, they exist), found only in Ajakalia, mean the deceased was an employer or a leader.
Purple or black roses from Akori mean the deceased wasn't treated well by the presenter of the rose in life, but there is regret to expressed.
Red roses, only found in Meiyestallia, are rare and mean the deepest sort of love and longing, though they carry an undertone of acceptance.
In courtship, presenting a potential lover with a wildflower is a symbol of passion, and connotates that the presenter, whom was once wild, is now ready to be captured.
Well-wishes are best conveyed through the presentation of a single stem of spray flowers, most commonly the Irkanian silk flower. It's believed that wishes of prosperity should be expressed with a single bloom, so as not to ruin the balance in the recipient's life. Many blooms are ideal for an ill person, as it implies to bring vitality to the recipient.
Appreciation or gratitude are most often expressed with bountiful bouquets, and not to exclude the random greenery in them. The more color, the more gratitude you seem to exude, as it portrays the happiness a person's kindness has given you.
~~More soon!
