February 29th only occurs once every 4 years, known as the leap year.
It’s a tradition for women of the world to propose to their chosen partners on leap year days. A quadrennial celebration
Don’t miss out otherwise you might have to wait another four years
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Leap Year has been the traditional time that women can propose marriage. In many of today’s cultures, it is okay 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.
St. Bridget’s ComplaintIt 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. According to legend, St. Patrick said the yearning females could propose on this one day in February during the leap year.
February 29th in English Law.
According to English law, February 29th was ignored and had no legal status.
Folks assumed that traditions would also have no status on that day. It was also reasoned that since the leap year day existed to fix a problem in the calendar, it could also be used to fix an old and unjust custom that only let men propose marriage.
The first documentation of this practice dates back to 1288, when Scotland passed a law that allowed women to propose marriage to the man of their choice in that year. They also made it law that any man who declined a proposal in a leap year must pay a fine. The fine could range from a kiss to payment for a silk dress or a pair of gloves.
Sadie Hawkins Day
In the United States, some people have referred to this date as Sadie Hawkins Day with women being given the right to run after unmarried men to propose.
Sadie Hawkins was a female character in the Al Capp cartoon strip Li’l Abner. Many communities prefer to celebrate Sadie Hawkins Day in November which is when Al Capp first mentioned Sadie Hawkins Day.
Greek Superstition
There is a Greek superstition that claims couples have bad luck if they marry during a leap year. Apparently one in five engaged couples in Greece will avoid planning their wedding during a leap year.
There was a time when you could attend a Leap Year Ball
throughout the whole Leap Year. In some cases, the event gave women the opportunity to ask a man, of her choice,for his hand in marriage.
Leap Year Dances were common as well. Here, a woman may do the asking for a dance. The women attending eithera Leap Year Ball or a Leap Year Dance may ask her manto marry her. It is “OK” for a woman to ask in a Leap Year.
If a man declines a marriage proposal, in a Leap Year, he must provide her with a silk dress and a kiss on the cheek.
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Diamond Imports
Kiss Her With A Diamond
