What Exactly Is A Leap Proposal?
Every four years, ladies get to have their turn in asking them four little but very special words, “Will you marry me?”. It’s simple, on February 29th ladies can ask their partner to marry them and they must say yes. It’s a tradition that started here in Ireland in the 5th century.
Origins Of Leap Year Proposals
It is said that it started with two of the most famous Irish saints, Saint Patrick and Saint Brigid of Kildare. While Brigid was discussing how long it can take for a man to ask for his ladies’ hand in marriage Saint Patrick decided to talk about a deal. The deal was that every four years women were given the chance to be the ones that got to propose first.
There is another version of this story that suggests that Brigid asked for Patrick’s hand in marriage. But due to the big age gap between the two not many people want to believe that story. It is said that Patrick refused and offered Brigid a silk gown in return.
What Would Happen If The Man Said No?
The legend that started with Patrick and Brigid then became history. In 1288 Scottish royalty passed a law stating that women were given the right to ask for a man’s hand in marriage on the 29th of February. From then on the day has been known as “Bachelor’s Day”. If the man wanted to say no he had to pay one of the following fees: A kiss, a silk gown or a pair of silk gloves.
Actually, it was stated in many Northern European societies that twelve pairs of silk gloves were to be given if the man was to say no. Gloves, apparently, were considered a more functional reparation than gowns were. This was because gloves can hide the fact that the woman could hide the “embarrassment” of not having a ring on her finger. Oh, how times have changed!
Leap Year Proposals And Modern Times
As time passed, all over Europe the idea of a leap year proposal became more and more popular. Today it isn’t an uncommon sight either. Although, of course in this modern era women can ask for their partners hand in marriage at any stage, but why not take advantage of this romantic tradition and ask on the 29th of February?
Traditionally February 29th is the day when women ask for their partner’s hand in marriage, so if your partner is a bit slow in popping that all important question…. why not take advantage of an old Irish tradition and ask the question yourself? With a little help from Propose 2 Me the possibilities are endless and the only limit is imagination, which our team of experts certainly do not lack. Have a look at our engagement packages for many ideas on how to create your perfect proposal idea. Propose 2 Me will work within your given budget and will promise you a marriage proposal of a lifetime!