344 Sealed with a kiss

One Idiom One Day: Sealed with a kiss

In old times, before the age of the internet, lovers would write letters to each other, and these love letters would be sealed with a kiss.

sealed with a kiss, also sealed with a loving kiss, SWAK or SWALK (acronym)

 written and sent with love and care

The acronym of this phrase, SWAK or SWALK, was commonly written on envelopes sent by servicemen to their lovers during the World War I & II. In medieval times, contracts were not considered legal until the signers included an X to represent Saint Andrew and would then kiss the X to prove his sincerity. Andrew was one of the original 12 apostles of Christ. He is said to have travelled to Greece to preach Christianity, where he was crucified at Patras on an X-shaped cross. This is represented by the diagonal cross, or 'saltire', on Scotland's flag. He is the patron saint of Scotland, Greece and of Russia. 

E.g., When he was away for prolonged periods on work, he would frequently write letters to her and write SWAK at the back of the envelope, to signify that it was sealed with a kiss.

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