2020 is a leap year, which means that we get an extra day – the 29th February! It’s traditional that women propose on leap years and especially on the leap day itself. But why does this strange tradition exist and where did it come from?
Well, the tradition is thought to date back to the 5th century, when legend has it an Irish nun called St Bridget complained to St Patrick that women had to wait too long for their suitors to propose. So, they struck a deal. St Patrick decreed this one day in February, which occurs once every four years when women were allowed to propose.
Did you know… leap days are needed to keep our calendar in alignment with the Earth’s revolutions around the sun. Because a complete orbit around the sun takes slightly longer than 365 days – 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds longer, to be precise!
Although you may have thought it was an old legend, according to this old Irish tradition, the leap year is the perfect chance for a woman to take matters into her own hands and get down on one knee. Not that us girls need any excuse in 2020 to pop the question – but if you are planning a proposal we have your bespoke ring boxes covered!