What is the value of rituals and ceremonies in courtship?

Although it is fairly obvious, the purpose of the courtship ritual is to get to know the person that you are dating or intending to marry. While these customs vary from culture to culture, they almost always involve what social scientists refer to as semantics, which is the symbolic meaning of signs

^^

poner/ponerse

  mi hermano se pone enojado.

  mi hermano pone el plato en la cocina.

ir/irse

  mis abuelos se van a almorzar.

voy a bailar con mi novio esta noche.

lavar/lavarse

  ? te lavas las manos?

  tengo que lavar los platos.