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February 29th, 2012 Leap Day

Sadie Hawkins Day

Feb 29, 2012 by Dorothéa Bozicolona-Volpe

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Leap Day occurs every 4 years, that extra day added to the Gregorian calendar in leap year.

It is also considered the one day of the year that women are culturally allowed to ask a man to marry them. You can thank St. Bridget for that as in 5th century Ireland when St. Bridget complained to St. Patrick about women having to wait for so long for a man to propose. According to legend, St. Patrick said the yearning females could propose on this one day in February during the leap year. Gee, thanks St. Pat!

The first documentation of this practice dates back to 1288, when Scotland supposedly passed a law that allowed women to propose marriage to the man of their choice in that year. Tradition states 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 the first Saturday in November 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 comic strip Li’l Abner. Many communities prefer to celebrate Sadie Hawkins Day in November because Al Capp first mentioned Sadie Hawkins Day on November 15, 1937.

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. There is also a bad luck aspect to February 29th. The Scottish consider it unlucky to be born on a Leap Day (in the way we think Friday the 13th is unlucky).

While I think it is great for women to have the authority to ask for a man’s hand, in this day and age it might be a tad strange to walk up to the single men folk in your village and ask for their hand. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying you shouldn’t, if you are in a committed relationship and feel that is where it is headed. By all means!

I am not much of a conformist and feel we should utilize this day to tell the men in our lives that we appreciate them. This goes for colleagues, friends (married, single and divorced), clergy, the dentist, mentors and even your local drycleaner if need be.

On this Leap Day, I am setting forth a challenge to All the Single Girlfriends and our lovely readers. Make today a day of appreciation!

It’s like my Nonna Volpe used to say, ‘a quick note of thanks goes a long way!’

About the Author

Dorothéa Bozicolona-Volpe Has Written 19 Articles For Us!

Dorothea is a senior strategic marketing executive, fluent in 4 languages, who specializes in developing new business for national and international brands via strategic partnerships and technology. She specializes in integrating social media into marketing strategies and understanding how to measure, optimize and build current new media efforts to increase value and develop strong relationships between consumers and brands

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