WEDDINGS
The Leap Year Proposal
Is It a Good Idea?
Only occurring once every four years, a leap year is an exciting time for a number of reasons, firstly there is an extra day in the year, which means that people born on the 29th February can actually celebrate their birthday on the right day, but mostly it is because tradition dictates that women can propose on a Leap day to a man. Where does the idea of a Leap Year proposal come from? There are a number of theories of where the tradition of the leap year proposal stems from: In the 5th Century it is rumoured that St Brigid of Kildare, an Irish nun, asked St Patrick to let women propose after many women were left waiting for a proposal from their boyfriends. He granted her wish and allowed women to propose every four years on a leap day. If the potential bridegroom refused he owed the women a silk dress. In 1288 Queen Margaret of Scotland allegedly created a law, which allowed women to propose on a leap year as long as they wore a red petticoat. If a woman’s suitor rejected n 26 | Worcestershire Now | Issue 196 | February 2020
her proposal he was forced to pay a fine. As Queen Margaret was only 5 years old at this time most historians believe she would be unlikly to be interested in the plight of unmarried women. If a woman in Finland wanted to propose to their boyfriend they had to do it on a leap day, as it was the only day that gave the couple good luck. If the boyfriend refused he was required to pay a fine, (enough money to pay for a new skirt). In some European countries, if a man rejected his girlfriends proposal he would have to buy her twelve pairs of gloves to hide the shame of being rejected. The thought of proposing can be daunting for anyone, but it is even harder when there
are out-dated ideas surrounding a woman’s proposal to a man. Don’t worry if you remember these few basic rules to proposing, you’ll be absolutely fine! Consider whether you’re definitely ready. There’s a reason why he hasn’t proposed yet. It might not be because he’s lazy or scared of commitment as your friends say perhaps he just thinks that you are not in the right financial position at the moment to be married. Or he could not just be at the same stage as you! Make sure you suss this out before you propose. Tailor the proposal to him. What would make it individual to him? If he likes fishing write ‘Will You Marry Me,’ on little note and put it in CONTINUED OVER THE PAGE
