LOCK EXPERTS
AUTOMOTIVE • RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL
May 5, 2017 || Destin Locksmithing
Through the centuries, humanity has come up with myriad ways to show our love for one another. We have stacks upon stacks of poetry from writers through the ages striving to put down just the right combination of words to describe their love and convey the depth of their emotions. There are lengthy novels all about the extraordinary love story between two seemingly ordinary individuals. There are bigger than life sized paintings of beautiful women and handsome men captured forever with canvas and oil paints to create an enduring testament to a person’s beauty. And, of course, that’s not all. The methods to convey feelings of love are as seemingly endless as the depth of the feeling itself. At
Destin Locksmithing, as you can probably imagine, we’re pretty big fans of the idea of love locks as a way to express your love.
What They Are
Love locks are locks, generally padlocks, which are locked to a bridge, grate, gate, fence, or other fixture. Generally, the place chosen is one with significance to the couple or a more overarching public significance. The locks usually contain a pair of names or a small inscription. The idea behind love locks is a pretty simple one – a pair of lovers take their padlock with names or inscription and affix it to the chosen point. Once it’s locked in place, they throw the key in the water, over a cliff, or otherwise throw it away where it can’t be reclaimed. This is meant to symbolize an enduring love that will be as lasting as the padlock locked onto the bridge, gate, or other chosen spot.
History of Love Locks
The idea behind love locks is a bittersweet one. The idea originated, as far as historians can tell, from an inscription on a bridge in Serbia more than 100 years ago. The inscription on the bridge tells the story of a schoolteacher who fell in love with a military officer. They pledged their love to each other but, when he went to war in Greece, he ended up falling in love with a local woman. The officer and the schoolmistress broke off their engagement and the schoolmistress ultimately died unwed because her love endured. From that story, the local women began writing their name as well as the name of their chosen love on a padlock and locking it to that bridge, the Bridge of Love, as a way to protect themselves from facing the same fate as the jilted schoolmistress.
Love Lock Locations
Today, love locks have gained in popularity to the point that there are love lock bridges and destinations in cities all over the world, some sanctioned by local governments and others less so. For instance, there is a specially designed tree structure in Moscow made for locals and visitors to attach their love locks. However, in cities like Prague and Paris, the use of love locks on some bridges have become so heavy that they are a structural risk and have had to be removed by the city.
So, if you and your love want to leave a lasting mark of your devotion to one another, do it the locksmith way with a love lock – but check to be sure your chosen location is permissible. If you need locksmith services near you in Destin or Panama City Beach, call the trusted experts at Destin Locksmithing for round-the-clock mobile locksmith services!
