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forms, commonly depicting women discussing the use of, or using, aggressive measures like nets and guns to capture unwitting men. The societal impact of the tradition in the United States has been described as reinforcing gender stereotypes that suggest women should not propose, as it was treated as a joke to let them do so on Leap Day; a similar
American tradition was to have women take leadership positions and arbitrarily run local councils on Leap Day, which was treated similarly to suggest that women should not have these roles. Both traditions died out by 1980, when women's roles in relationships were more equal (and when the workplace swap became seen as entirely misogynistic).
801:
24:
682:. In the 5th century, Bridget is said to have gone to Patrick to complain that women had to wait too long to marry because men were slow to propose, asking that women be given the opportunity. Patrick is said to have offered that women be allowed to propose on one day every seven years, but Bridget convinced him to make it one day every four years.
720:
The custom is reported to allow women to initiate dances and propose marriage. There are also traditions for if the proposal was refused, namely that the man would have to give recompense to the woman. This could come in different forms, though typically the man was expected to buy the woman gloves,
818:
wrote that his daughter had mentioned a "leap year dance", where the men sit around waiting to be invited by the women. It became more known in the early 20th century, but was the butt of jokes about unmarried, romantically aggressive, women. Cartoons were published mocking the concept in various
783:
The tradition of the fine comes from the story of Saint
Bridget and Saint Patrick, where Bridget is said to have immediately proposed to Patrick after he allowed women to, but Patrick turned her down, giving her a kiss on the cheek and a silk dress.
736:
being a term for scowling, but on Leap Years men would have the puss. This appears to be a kinder form of Chalk Sunday. Some records also include mention that it is traditionally unlucky to actually marry in
February of a Leap Year.
792:
In traditional
English law, 29 February was not a legal day, so the legal bar at that time on women proposing would not apply during a leap year. This may have begun the tradition there.
721:
a silk gown or, by the mid-20th century, a fur coat. He may have also had to perform a juggling trick on Easter Day. In some areas a woman could propose for the entire leap year.
764:
In some parts of Europe, if a woman proposed and the man refused, he would have to buy her twelve pairs of gloves, supposedly to hide the fact she was not wearing a ring.
828:
tells the story of a woman traversing around
Ireland to find her boyfriend to propose on the day, and the tradition may have led to the day being used as
914:
772:
Irish monks took the tradition to
Scotland where, in 1288, it was made into a law that women could propose during leap years, that they must wear a red
875:
638:
1044:
685:
The tradition also has background in the number of late
February proposals encouraged by how undesirable it was to be unmarried during
809:
689:, because of social responsibility to marry combined with the ban on marrying during the Lent observance. People who were single by
987:
1152:
693:
would be publicly named in
Skellig Lists, ballads about single people, and harassed in the streets from the Sunday after
1016:: An Encyclopedia of Dating Customs and Wedding Traditions, Expanded Second Edition George Monger ABC-CLIO, Apr 9, 2013
666:, 29 February, based on a legend of Saint Bridget and Saint Patrick. It once had legal basis in Scotland and England.
631:
705:, where Lent was believed to start later than in the rest of Ireland, providing a last opportunity to quickly wed.
1162:
776:
while proposing, and that refusals would result in a fine. This was supposedly decreed by the young, unmarried
708:
Bachelor's Day was well established by the 1800s. Several stories of the tradition were then collected by the
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227:
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1117:
709:
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780:, though she was 5 years old. The fine could be a kiss, or the traditional silk dress or gloves.
697:, known as Chalk Sunday, and throughout Lent. The term "Skellig List" comes from the name of the
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915:"REVEALED: Ireland's 7 most romantic proposal spots - with Bachelor's Day around the corner"
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1084:"Local Marriage Customs - Pus Sunday · Loughkeeren · The Schools' Collection"
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1027:'Excuse Me, But I Think You're Sitting on My Hershey Bar' and Other Openers
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The first record of the tradition in the United States is in 1860, when
876:"Leap Day proposals: The FASCINATING story behind this Irish tradition"
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between 1937 and 1939, as part of an educational curriculum project.
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Similar traditions can be found in other countries, particularly in
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988:"The weird historic traditions around Pancake Tuesday in Ireland"
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728:. On either the last Sunday before, or the first Sunday after,
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1045:"How One Couple Said 'I do' to Romantic Leap Year Traditions"
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757:. By the early 20th century, the tradition had reached the
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The tradition is supposed to originate from a deal that
873:
1118:"The strange history of sexist leap day traditions"
952:"The Irish history and traditions behind Leap Day"
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654:, sometimes known as Ladies' Privilege, is an
804:American postcard about the tradition in 1908
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749:. It is also observed in other parts of the
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810:Commons:Category:1908 Leap Year postcards
1073:: Spring 2011-Spring 2012 Andrew Theitic
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1014:Marriage Customs of the World
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1116:Nelson, Libby (2016-02-29).
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1033:. 29 February 1980. p. D5.
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822:The 2010 American film
724:A related tradition is
880:Ireland Before You Die
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1163:Days celebrating love
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447:Emotions and feelings
1158:February observances
1031:The Washington Post
816:Ralph Waldo Emerson
601:Narcissistic parent
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419:marital separation
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1050:The Guardian
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958:. 2020-02-29
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279:Non-monogamy
223:Life partner
213:Cohabitation
1056:29 February
726:Puss Sunday
519:Bride price
377:Meet market
308:Concubinage
93:Grandparent
1142:Categories
1127:2020-03-07
1093:2024-02-14
962:2020-03-07
924:2020-03-07
885:2020-03-07
836:References
808:See also:
662:to men on
561:Repression
546:Infidelity
459:Attachment
360:Engagement
339:Activities
233:Friendship
208:Girlfriend
186:Partner(s)
1088:dúchas.ie
825:Leap Year
774:petticoat
541:Hypergamy
513:Practices
501:Sexuality
474:Limerence
434:Widowhood
424:Annulment
350:Courtship
313:Courtesan
289:Polyamory
241:cross-sex
203:Boyfriend
154:Polyandry
768:Scotland
747:Scotland
664:Leap Day
611:Stalking
591:Domestic
484:Platonic
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464:Intimacy
454:Affinity
318:Mistress
303:Cicisbeo
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218:Same-sex
159:Polygyny
149:Polygamy
113:marriage
57:adoptive
788:England
755:Finland
753:and in
670:History
660:propose
596:Elderly
534:service
496:Passion
429:Divorce
410:Breakup
404:Endings
392:Wedding
382:Romance
345:Bonding
235: (
128:Husband
98:Sibling
66:Kinship
53:Genetic
35:Outline
691:Easter
586:Dating
372:Mating
355:Dating
269:Casual
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103:Cousin
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81:father
76:Parent
71:Family
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574:Abuse
529:dowry
524:dower
415:Legal
45:Types
1058:2020
687:Lent
479:Love
257:and
245:zone
133:Wife
1122:Vox
1029:".
993:RTÉ
734:pus
111:By
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