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Leap Year Proposals
Leap Year was the traditional time that women could propose marriage. In
many of today's cultures, it is ok for a woman to propose marriage to a man.
Society doesn't look down on such women. However, that hasn't always been
the case. When the rules of courtship were stricter, women were only allowed
to pop the question on one day every four years. That day was February 29th.
The right of every women to propose on 29th February each leap year, goes back
many hundreds of years to when the leap year day had no recognition in English
law (the day was 'leapt over' and ignored Hence the term 'leap year').
It was
considered, therefore, that as the day had no legal status, it was reasonable to
assume that traditions also had no status. Consequently, women who were
concerned about being 'left on the shelf' took advantage of this anomaly and
proposed to the man they wished to marry.
It is believed this tradition was started in 5th century Ireland when St.
Bridget complained to St. Patrick about women having to wait for so long for
a man to propose. So, according to legend, St. Patrick said the yearning
females could propose on this one day in February during the Leap Year. |
