FEBRUARY 29 is traditionally the one time of the year where women across the country decide to pop the question.

Leap year proposal facts:

  • The tradition is thought to have started in 5th century Ireland when St. Bridget bitterly complained to St. Patrick that women had to wait far too long for men to propose. 
  • It is believed to have been introduced to balance the traditional roles of men and women in a similar way to how leap day balances the calendar.
  • The first documented instance of women proposing on February 29th is in 13th century Scotland, where a law was passed that decreed that any man refusing a proposal on the leap year must pay a fine, which could range from a kiss, right through to a silk dress or, most commonly, a pair of gloves.
  • In many European countries tradition dictates that any man who refuses a woman's proposal on February 29 has to buy her 12 pairs of gloves to hide the embarrassment of not having an engagement ring.

Are you thinking about proposing to your partner this leap year day?