Today is Leap Year Day where the Irish tradition is that for this day alone a woman can ask a man to marry her.
It is said the tradition began in 5th century Ireland when St. Bridget bitterly complained to St. Patrick that women had to wait far too long for men to propose. Centuries have come and gone and that's a problem men still have.
So according to legend says that St. Patrick decreed the women could propose on this one day in February during the leap year.
The tradition was then taken to Scotland by Irish monks. Back in 1288, the Scots passed a law that allowed women to propose marriage to the man of their dreams in a Leap Year. The law also stated that any man who declined the proposal in a leap year would have to pay a fine. The fine could range from a kiss to payment for a silk dress or a pair of gloves.
There is also precedent in English law. February 29th was ignored and had no legal status. People believed that traditions would also have no status on that day and that it was possible to have women propose thereby altering an unfair custom that only let men propose marriage.
In the United States, some people refer to February 29th as Sadie Hawkins Day with women allegedly having the right the right to run after unmarried men to propose.
So all of you woman who are reading this get away from the computer, put down the IPad or your phone and go get your man. At the very least you'll get a nice dress and a pair of gloves.
It is said the tradition began in 5th century Ireland when St. Bridget bitterly complained to St. Patrick that women had to wait far too long for men to propose. Centuries have come and gone and that's a problem men still have.
So according to legend says that St. Patrick decreed the women could propose on this one day in February during the leap year.
The tradition was then taken to Scotland by Irish monks. Back in 1288, the Scots passed a law that allowed women to propose marriage to the man of their dreams in a Leap Year. The law also stated that any man who declined the proposal in a leap year would have to pay a fine. The fine could range from a kiss to payment for a silk dress or a pair of gloves.
There is also precedent in English law. February 29th was ignored and had no legal status. People believed that traditions would also have no status on that day and that it was possible to have women propose thereby altering an unfair custom that only let men propose marriage.
In the United States, some people refer to February 29th as Sadie Hawkins Day with women allegedly having the right the right to run after unmarried men to propose.
So all of you woman who are reading this get away from the computer, put down the IPad or your phone and go get your man. At the very least you'll get a nice dress and a pair of gloves.
2 comments:
I'd have to move to Ireland. There are no men where I live in South Carolina worth asking to marry.
I hate Leap Year and the extra day, had to work for free today.
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