Propose on our front page!?
LOVE Leap Year tradition
It’s a Leap Year and ladies, you know what that means, you have carte blanche to propose to your other half on February 29 in line with a special tradition.
Of course, in this modern era of gender equality, you can propose any day. But there still remains a special charm around a Leap Year proposal.
As far as The Anglo-Celt goes, this Leap Year is even more special. February 29 falls on a Thursday and our print edition is traditionally dated every Thursday. The last time this happened was in 1996 when The Anglo-Celt didn’t even have a website, let along a social media presence. So much has changed!
This year, the Celt is seeking a brave woman to propose to her other half on February 29 on our front page. This newspaper will publish a photo of the proposer with a headline - Will you marry me...? We intend to follow the story online and on our social media channels, including some video, to see how the proposal went. Fingers crossed... he (or she) will say YES!
Subject to response, we maybe even publish a page of proposals inside our newspaper but only one lucky couple can feature on the front page.
Weird and wonderful tradition
Ireland’s folklore is full of weird and wonderful traditions. The Leap Year proposal is one of the most interesting.
It’s believed to have its roots in 5th century Ireland when St Brigid complained to St Patrick that women had to wait far too long for men to propose. The story goes that St Patrick decreed women could propose on this one day in February during the leap year.
The tradition was then taken to Scotland by Irish monks. In 1288, the Scots passed a law that allowed a woman to propose marriage to the man of their dreams in a leap year. The law also stated that any man who declined the proposal on this day would have to pay a fine!
The fine payable ranged from a kiss to payment for a silk dress or a pair of gloves. The reference to gloves is said to help the woman hide her shame at not having a ring to show off from the proposal.
The legend says the law was passed by an unmarried Queen Margaret (although records show she may only have been five years old at the time). The Queen also put in place a rule that all women proposing must wear a red petticoat while doing so.
The tradition has travelled the world over at this stage with some people calling February 29 - Bachelor’s Day.
In the US, some people still refer to it as Sadie Hawkins’ Day. Sadie was a female character in the Al Capp comic strip ‘Li’l Abner’ who inspired Sadie Hawkins Dances where girls would ask boys to attend.
APPLY NOW
So if you want to declare your love on the front page of our newspaper and online before tens of thousands of readers and followers, and propose to your partner, email linda@anglocelt.ie with Proposal in the subject line and tell us a bit about your and your partner and why we should put you on our front page.