Can Cousins Fall In Love And Be In A Relationship?

Cousins are surely a blessing! They know almost everything about you and because most of the time they don’t live under the same roof as you, they don’t seem as annoying as your actual siblings. When you grow up together, it’s common to feel like you’ve fallen for your cousins. Keep on reading to find out whether it’s okay to pursue such a relationship or not.

Cousins are relatives having the same grandparents like us. In other words, children of our paternal, as well as maternal uncles and aunts, will be our cousins. Having cousins especially of the same age as you is a blessing. They are a family by blood but are friends too. Mostly, they are the few people who make boring family gatherings fun. Apart from first cousins, there are second cousins as well who are the children of your parents' cousins. You might not see your second cousins as often as your first cousins but you can still share a cool bond with your second cousins as well. However, in some families, cousins are treated as distant family and are not too close to each other.

Being in a romantic relationship with your cousin is not as simple as it may sound. Some communities might allow cousin marriages but most communities and religions like Hinduism do not allow cousin marriages or relationships as for these communities, cousins are considered to be siblings as well. Cousin marriage is banned in over 30 states of America however it is legal to fall in love or marry a cousin in the United Kingdom. An Australian actor named Greta Sacchi married her first cousin and heard a lot of criticism at first but later she came out and told how it is legal and how she is extremely happy with her married life.

Among the many things, falling in love with your cousin or secretly dating your cousin is still considered to be a taboo in many parts of the world. However, it wasn't considered to be something unusual in the past. There are many examples of famous people who married their first cousins. Amongst the most popular ones, Albert Einstein and Charles Darwin married their first cousins and it was completely normal to marry cousins back then. However, today many countries including China, Philippines, and the majority of the states in the USA consider it disgusting and icky to marry or fall in love with your first cousin. However it is legal in countries like Japan and the U.K. Apart from that, most of the Muslim countries have a high ratio of cousin marriages as Islam permits it.

Apart from our own siblings, cousins are the first friends we make. Growing up, you play with your cousins and sometimes even bath with them, etc. If you have cousins who are the same age group as you, there will probably come a time when you might feel attracted to each other. This is because you get to see each other often and might even share the same interests and disinterests. It is normal to be attracted to a cousin. Most analysts have said this attraction is basically infatuation which is normal especially during teenage. This is because during puberty, these emotions are stronger than usual and you might feel attracted or infatuated to a cousin but as you grow old, the infatuation might fade away itself.

Falling in love with a cousin might still be a taboo in most countries but if you are sure about your feelings and you feel safe with your partner then there is no reason for you to be ashamed of it. It is completely okay to fall in love with a cousin and pursue it to marriage. However, studies do show that children born in cousin marriages might have abnormalities but this is the case if there are inter-cousin marriages. For example, in Pakistan, the ratio of cousin marriage is so high that in most families they do not even consider marrying their child outside of the family. In such a case the risk of abnormalities in the newborn babies is higher.

Falling in love with a cousin might be considered right by some people and wrong by the others. It is a debatable topic as there is no definite answer to the question, "Is it wrong to fall in love with a cousin?'

However, we all know that we do not choose who we fall in love with. If you fell in love with a cousin, do not hesitate in opening up about it only because it is a taboo. People who have been in love with their cousins and eventually married them often say that marrying a cousin is like marrying a friend.

1.  ''From showing how much you love and appreciate your family.” –Josiah
2.  “Nothing is better than going home to family and eating good food and relaxing.” –Irina Shayk
3.  “To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there.” –Barbara Bush
4.   “In family life, love is the oil that eases friction, the cement that binds closer together, and the music that brings harmony.” –Friedrich Nietzsche
5. “Family isn’t always blood. It’s the people in your life who want you in theirs; the ones who accept you for who you are. The ones that would do anything to see you smile and who love you no matter what.”

Cousins are often the first friends we make. During teenage, there is a high possibility of you being attracted to a cousin of the opposite as during puberty, your emotions are stronger than ever. If you fall in love with a cousin, you need not be ashamed of it. There is nothing wrong with being in love with a cousin. You should have the basic right of being in love and choosing your life partner. In most countries, cousin marriage is illegal and still a taboo but being in love is all about breaking taboos and stereotypes. However, you must be aware of the fact that cousin marriages might result in abnormalities in the kids. The conclusion is that you should be sure of your feelings and take a rational decision. List down the pros and cons and also consider if you have the audacity to fight the odds and the taboos.