Today is one of the rare events in human time-space history, a catch-up day, February 29th. Happy Sadie Hawkins Day!
According to early English law, February 29th was ignored and had no legal status. Therefore, it became the one day when women could ask someone to marry them. This practice was first documented in 1288, when Scotland passed a law that allowed women to propose marriage to the man of their choice in that year. They also made it law that any man who declined a proposal in a leap year must pay a fine, ranging from a kiss to money for clothing.
In the USA, this custom translated the Old World leap year tradition into today’s “Sadie Hawkins Day,” when women can chase single men and propose marriage to them. The character of “Sadie Hawkins” existed in the old Al Capp cartoon strip Li’l Abner and was first mentioned there on November 13, 1937.
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