In Britain and Ireland, it is a tradition that women may propose marriage only on leap years.

While it has been claimed that the tradition was initiated by Saint Patrick or Brigid of Kidaire in 5th century Ireland, this is dubious, as the tradition has not been attested before the 19th century. 

Supposedly, a 1288 law by Queen Margaret of Scotland (then age five and living in Norway), required that fines be levied if a marriage proposal was refused by the man; compensation was deemed to be a pair of leather gloves, a single rose, £1 and a kiss.  In some places the tradition was tightened to restricting female proposals to the modern leap year day, February 29, or to the medieval leap year day, February 24.

In Denmark, the tradition is that women may propose on the leap year day, February 29, and that refusal must be compensated with 12 pairs of gloves.

In Finland, the tradition is that if a man refuses a woman's proposal on leap year day, he should buy her the fabrics for a skirt.

In Greece, marriage in a leap year is considered unlucky.  One in five engaged couples in Greece will plan to avoid getting married in a leap year.

So....did you propose to your man this leap year? If he said yes, which I very much hope he did, then check out Helen Maynard Photography and her photographs at http://www.photo-girl.co.uk 

x