Indexer
Tradition has it that women can propose marriage to men on 29th February. However, this only happens in a leap year – once every four years – and this is one such, so grab your chance!
Nobody really knows how this tradition started. It is said that Queen Margaret of Scotland passed a law in 1288 to say that a woman could propose marriage on 29th February, and if the man turned the offer down he had to pay a forfeit. The forfeit in question was either a new gown, gloves, or a kiss! (The final option sounds like the least expensive, but it might persuade the man to change his mind!)
However, there is no record of such a law ever having been passed.
Or was it Brigid of Kildare – a 6th century Irish nun – who asked St Patrick to allow this to happen? We shall probably never know!
In these days of same sex marriage, it would hardly make sense if a woman could only propose to another woman once every four years. And why should there be such discrimination anyway? If a woman can propose to a woman at any time, surely that should apply to heterosexual proposals as well?
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Question of
Did you know about this tradition?
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Yes
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No
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Question of
Have you ever been tempted to follow it?
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Yes
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No
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I think we will never know where the tradition originated. It is interesting though proposing should happen at any time.
Since the loss of my soul mate, such things like love and marriage are in the past for me now. It is an interesting idea though and I think women who are waiting for their partners to ask them should go ahead and do the asking
Well I could ask my husband ~ he doesn’t recall asking me so it might be fun. What do you think of thank Indexer.
oh my goodness I wish we could edit comments lol