"According to an old Irish legend, or possibly history, St Bridget struck a deal with St Patrick to allow women to propose to men – and not just the other way around – every 4 years. This is believed to have been introduced to balance the traditional roles of men and women in a similar way to how Leap Day balances the calendar."
And as I'm half Irish, you might have thought I would have taken note of this in my younger years.
"In some places, Leap Day has been known as “Bachelors’ Day” for the same reason. A man was expected to pay a penalty, such as a gown or money, if he refused a marriage proposal from a woman on Leap Day. In many European countries, especially in the upper classes of society, tradition dictates that any man who refuses a woman's proposal on February 29 has to buy her 12 pairs of gloves. The intention is that the woman can wear the gloves to hide the embarrassment of not having an engagement ring. During the middle ages there were laws governing this tradition."
Now I'm sure most of you know, I will be using this little piece of information in one of my books.
Tell me -- Is there anyone (living, dead, character from a book, movie) you would like to propose to?
Here is my choice. This would be Col. Brandon from Sense & Sensibility.
(Source of quotes http://www.thetimenow.com)
