Friend: Bundling was done in my family during the wintertime before we moved off the farm and had houses with central heating. In older days, when a swain came a courting a maiden whose family lived in a house that had only fireplace or stove radiant heating (the cook stove in the kitchen, and the pot bellied stove in the parlor--on special occasions), and they were engaged and were permitted to hold hands, look at each other moonily, and just keep company of the social conversation variety--and the in-house temperatures away from the heat source were at or just above freezing, the couple, fully clothed and with overcoats, mittens, etc, climbed into a bed and pulled up the heavy covers to keep warm while they were conversing and romanticizing, in the presence or near presence of a chaperone. They were bundled up individually and bundled together, just to keep warm. Obviously nothing more than hand holding could occur, and if they were wearing mittens, even that was not close contact. In certain households, particularly in New England, there was a wood bar affixed to the bed, headboard to footboard, after it was made, which divided the bed into two halves--he and she sides. Courting was accommodated, but bundling kept the parties from engaging in any hanky panky. John Scott Davenport Holmdel, NJ