Leap Year Traditions
2004 is a Leap Year!
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.
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.
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.
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 celebrate Sadie Hawkins Day in November.
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. |
