Pitching Woo

A 1908 postcard about Maidens and Leap YearTomorrow is February 29^th – Leap Day. I always think of poor Frederic from Gilbert & Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance who, because of being born on February 29^th, is apprenticed to a band of pirates until his 21^st birthday which would be in his 84^th year. How sad to only have a birthday every four years!

Apart from this day being a convenient reminder that it’s an election year, the oddity of February 29^th generates all kinds of discourse and philosophy on time. It’s an abstract notion – that every year is actually not 365 days, but 365 and one-quarter days – thereby creating a spare day every four years. Hunh? Yes. It’s true. It made sense to me when it was explained in fifth grade and the mathematics is always correct, but where the hell did I put those spare six hours every year?

Also, did you know that women may only propose marriage to men in leap years? Or so says the law from 12^th Century Europe. This law further restricted the rampant topsy-turvy of sexual hierarchy by later limiting proposals to ONLY February 29^th. Yup. Tomorrow. On your marks, ladies!

A pound for your trouble?There is also supposedly a law from 13^th Century England when Queen Margaret of Scotland decreed that if the man rejects the woman’s proposal on Feburary 29^th, that he must give her one of the following things: a kiss, one-pound of currency, or a pair of gloves. (I know, you’re thinking “gloves?” – yes. Gloves were a luxury item back in the day, separating those that worked with their hands from those that could afford to protect their hands. Even today, a pair of custom made gloves from La Crasia in New York will run you up into a few hundred dollars – and that’s just for starters!) Later on, the pair of gloves was changed to “a silk dress”, and it was made known that the woman doing the proposing needed to wear a “scarlet petticoat” to show her intentions toward man-catching. (Hester Prynne, anyone?) Traditions like this are also traced to France and Switzerland – especially the part about the silk dress. After all, the poor girl has to get something out of the humiliation of rejection! Why not something new and fabulous to wear?

A silk dress of my choosing...I am now trying to think of whom I’m going to propose to tomorrow just to have him turn me down. I really want this dress from Christian Lacroix’s spring collection and I think this may be the only way to get it!
 

Comments

[Megen]

I love this info. I will need to share this with my history students.

[anastasia]

I wonder if I propose to someone if I can convince him that Keira Knightly's gown in Atonement absolutely must be mine.