Not only is today Leap Year (and another lame excuse for things to be one sale in stores), but today is also Sadie Hawkins Day. Which means, for you ladies who are so inclined, today is the one day every four years where a woman can propose to a man and get away with it.
Now I was under the impression that we were living in the 2000s, but I’ll go with it. I remember when I was reading the Sweet Valley High books (back when I was like, 10) and one of the twins was in a wedding where the woman proposed and it was so obvious that he didn’t want to marry her, he was just doing it because he didn’t want to say no.
I know it’s kind of a big deal for women to propose to men, but I think it’s just as big of a deal for a man to propose. However, I believe that you shouldn’t ask someone to marry you unless you are 100% sure they will say yes. And if you say no, you don’t have the right to get mad at them.
Wikipedia and Cate say this completely chauvinistic point of view dates back to 1288:
In 1288 the Scottish parliament under Queen Margaret legislated that any woman could propose in Leap Year; few parliament records of that time exist, and none concern February 29.[1] Another component of this tradition was that if the man rejects the proposal, he should soften the blow by providing a kiss, one pound currency, and a pair of gloves.
And yet, when women turn men down, they don’t have to “soften the blow” with a kiss, gloves, or money. They just get to say no and continue with their spinster-y ways, forever having to live with the fact that they let down women everywhere by saying no to someone who wanted to marry them.
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