In Lithuania, dating is less accentuated than in some Western societies, as the number of lifetime partners including sexual partners is much lower among the Lithuanians. However, with no "arranged marriages", Lithuania has more dating than most Eastern societies. The majority of Lithuanian couples and families are formed through a rather slow relationship transformation from that of classmates, co-workers, friends or otherwise into that of a boyfriend and girlfriend.
However, there is also an active "dating scene" where casual relations are practiced. Traditionally, nightclubs were the most popular place to purposefully seek for a person to date, especially for one night stands and short-term affairs. However, the majority of families in Lithuania are made by people who met their spouse somewhere in their lives, e. Recently, dating somebody met online became a common practice.
In the s, this was still something acceptable just to some people, while by s most of the youth and some middle-aged people have accepted it as a possible alternative. Initially, the meetings would be arranged through Lithuanian "friend-finding" websites, which were somewhat out-competed by "Tinder" in the mids. Unlike in some Western countries, such services are often dominated by those seeking long-term or "serious" relationships rather than casual sex for that, there are special websites.
With a lifetime average of just 3 sexual partners, the majority of Lithuanians actually spend their lives outside the "dating scene" altogether. For those who do date, it is common for a man to pay for the woman during a date. However, the prevalence of such practice decreases as the seriousness of the woman increases. Women who are into one-night stands far more often accept or even demand such arrangements and also gifts than women who are into serious relationships.
In some cases, this "payment for a woman" is a thinly-veiled form of prostitution. In Lithuanian dating websites, one may find women profiles where sex is listed among the interests and "gifts", "richness" or "sponsorship" are among the preferred "qualities" of a man. Often, the "price" such women expect is high and, on the higher tiers, may include demands for gifted cars and expensive jewelry. The women who effectively "sell themselves" long-term this way, are known in Lithuanian as "barracudas", usually a derogatory term.
