NationStates Jolt Archive

A friend of mine told me recently that apparently it is a British custom that on the 29th of February women are allowed to propose to their boyfriends (get off my back, Bottle, it's just an old custom, I'm sure they propose around the year these days). I had never ever before heard of that, but I thought it was kind of funny.

So, do you know of any odd customs you encoutered abroad? Or of local customs? Let's hear them.

i never heard of that.

then again i don't know much about british traditions with one parent German and the other staunchly Welsh...

The 29th Feb/woman proposing thing is true.

*Prepares to fight Bottle off with a Wiimote*

The 29th Feb/woman proposing thing is true.

*Prepares to fight Bottle off with a Wiimote*

Does it exist anywhere outside Britain? My friend couldn't believe I'd never heard of it before...

From some of our US off the wall customs:

Sadie Hawkins Day, an American folk event, made its debut in Al Capp's Li'l Abner strip November 15, 1937. Sadie Hawkins was "the homeliest gal in the hills" who grew tired of waiting for the fellows to come a courtin'. Her father, Hekzebiah Hawkins, a prominent resident of Dogpatch, was even more worried about Sadie living at home for the rest of his life, so he decreed the first annual Sadie Hawkins Day, a foot race in which the unmarried gals pursued the town's bachelors, with matrimony the consequence. By the late 1930's the event had swept the nation and had a life of its own. Life magazine reported over 200 colleges holding Sadie Hawkins Day events in 1939, only two years after its inception. It became a woman empowering rite at high schools and college campuses, long before the modern feminist movement gained prominence. The basis of Sadie Hawkins Day is that women and girls take the initiative in inviting the man or boy of their choice out on a date, typically to a dance attended by other bachelors and their aggressive dates. When Al Capp created the event, it was not his intention to have the event occur annually on a specific date because it inhibited his freewheeling plotting. However, due to its enormous popularity and the numerous fan letters Capp received, the event became an annual event in the strip during the month of November, lasting four decades.


It is still going strong, with Sadie Hawkins dance parties at schools.

Vic

Does it exist anywhere outside Britain? My friend couldn't believe I'd never heard of it before...

first time i heard of it is reading your thread

Does it exist anywhere outside Britain? My friend couldn't believe I'd never heard of it before...

No idea, I've never looked into it. I'd never thought it was unusual; just another old custom.

All I know is it happens every 4 years...

A friend of mine told me recently that apparently it is a British custom that on the 29th of February women are allowed to propose to their boyfriends (get off my back, Bottle, it's just an old custom, I'm sure they propose around the year these days). I had never ever before heard of that, but I thought it was kind of funny.
I'm glad to know that so many people walk in fear of me that I've forced feminist discourse into even the most trivial topics. :D

Never heard of the female-proposing day, but it’s Burns Night here in Scotland tomorrow; celebrating Rabbie Burns, the national Bard. That’s got some slightly strange tradition’s attached to it; the Selkirk Grace:

Some hae meat and canna eat,
And some would eat that want it;
But we hae meat, and we can eat,
And sae the Lord be thankit.

The piping in and addressing of the Haggis, dancing, Burns’ poetry, etc.

Lots of fun, and good food too!

I'm glad to know that so many people walk in fear of me that I've forced feminist discourse into even the most trivial topics. :D

*lol
Well, normally I would be the first to jump down someone's throat for promoting a custom like that ;)

it’s Burns Night here in Scotland tomorrow; celebrating Rabbie Burns, the national Bard.

Thanks for reminding me! Have to remember to go to Asda on Friday - mucho reduced haggis. Excellent! *Rubs hands together in glee* :D

Thanks for reminding me! Have to remember to go to Asda on Friday–mucho reduced haggis. Excellent! *Rubs hands together in glee* :D
*drools*

Mmmmmm haggis! I’m looking forward to haggis and black pudding rolls. Oh, sweet Eris, they’re tasty.

On another note, is Asda still with us? I thought it had been bought over by Wallmart.

i always wondered what the hell burns night was all about!
Well, originally it was a night of setting people on fire....

EDIT>> oooh, my first timewarp... I feel sick :(

Never heard of the female-proposing day, but it’s Burns Night here in Scotland tomorrow; celebrating Rabbie Burns, the national Bard.

i always wondered what the hell burns night was all about!

growing up it was "cleaning out the house day" meaning we were to "reduce our clutter by 80%"

I thought it would be easier just to do it every year, but I was wrong, I do it every 2 weeks now......

I am going to make up something idiotic for my kids and I to do, like Opera day, where we sing everything or something......although probably not that because that is too fun to only do on leap years.

maybe we won't do anything?

*drools*

Mmmmmm haggis! I’m looking forward to haggis and black pudding rolls. Oh, sweet Eris, they’re tasty.

On another note, is Asda still with us? I thought it had been bought over by Wallmart.

Mmm, haggis and black pudding...

Yep, it's still with us, and much the same as ever. It just says "a member of the WalMart family" on the carrier bags now.

All I know is it happens every 4 years...

...except it doesn't happen every 4 years.

I'd forgotten that quaint little custom, that women could propose on Feb 29. More was made of it way back when it was less common, I guess.

Oh, and the Romans, when they added the intercalary day to February, didn't add it at the end. They repeated the 24th. Of course, in their scheme days weren't numbered the way we do it, they were counted down to certain points in the month. The 24th of February was the Sixth Day Before March 1st (the Kalends). The repeated day was the Sixth Day Before March 1st bisextus (ante diem VI Kal. Mar. bisextus). Or the "bisextile day." :p

Just thought I'd add that today (26/01/07) is Australia Day. Not sure if it really qualifies as an odd custom, it may be for you, but it isn't for me. :)

i never heard of that.

then again i don't know much about british traditions with one parent German and the other staunchly Welsh...

Wales is in fact part of Britain. Until the Welsh nationalists get hold of some really good digging gear and seriously enlarge the River Severn.

A friend of mine told me recently that apparently it is a British custom that on the 29th of February women are allowed to propose to their boyfriends (get off my back, Bottle, it's just an old custom, I'm sure they propose around the year these days). I had never ever before heard of that, but I thought it was kind of funny.

So, do you know of any odd customs you encoutered abroad? Or of local customs? Let's hear them.

I remember hearing about that, I heard that in Scotland they had an old law that if the man refused a proposal made on this day then they were required to pay a fine of £1. When the law was introduced that would have been a substantial amount of money.

A friend of mine told me recently that apparently it is a British custom that on the 29th of February women are allowed to propose to their boyfriends (get off my back, Bottle, it's just an old custom, I'm sure they propose around the year these days). I had never ever before heard of that, but I thought it was kind of funny.

So, do you know of any odd customs you encoutered abroad? Or of local customs? Let's hear them.
I've heard of that one and Sadie Hawkins(God bless Popular, a great program culled before its time)
Never heard of the female-proposing day, but it’s Burns Night here in Scotland tomorrow; celebrating Rabbie Burns, the national Bard. That’s got some slightly strange tradition’s attached to it; the Selkirk Grace:

Some hae meat and canna eat,
And some would eat that want it;
But we hae meat, and we can eat,
And sae the Lord be thankit.

The piping in and addressing of the Haggis, dancing, Burns’ poetry, etc.

Lots of fun, and good food too!
That would be relativly popular in Dunedin.

*lol
Well, normally I would be the first to jump down someone's throat for promoting a custom like that ;)

i often reserve days associated with romance for jumping down a certain special someone's throat...

Snopes has a write up on this one:
http://www.snopes.com/oldwives/february29.asp

On Feb 2nd people in Japan will be throwing beans around to drive off demons.

no entries for 29/02, though:
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/conker/conkers-and-ghosts/calendar.htm

equally weird:

http://www.fisheaters.com/customs.html

A friend of mine told me recently that apparently it is a British custom that on the 29th of February women are allowed to propose to their boyfriends (get off my back, Bottle, it's just an old custom, I'm sure they propose around the year these days). I had never ever before heard of that, but I thought it was kind of funny.

So, do you know of any odd customs you encoutered abroad? Or of local customs? Let's hear them.

Of course. In the States it's called "Sadie Hawkins Day" after an old comic strip called "Lil' Abner". According to the Almighty Wikipedia, the States' version should be celebrated in November, but just about everyone I know has melded that into the leap year proposal mentioned in the OP.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadie_Hawkins

Just thought I'd add that today (26/01/07) is Australia Day. Not sure if it really qualifies as an odd custom, it may be for you, but it isn't for me. :)

No more odd to us than Independence Day/July Fourth would be to you.

I'm glad to know that so many people walk in fear of me that I've forced feminist discourse into even the most trivial topics. :D
Egads! You're an actual feminazi? :eek:

Egads! You're an actual feminazi? :eek:

She's got the uniform and everything ;)

Egads! You're an actual feminazi? :eek:

Ah. Let's see....

Wow, you're a confident, self-sufficient woman who knows what she wants and can take care of herself, thank you? How scary!!!

No worried, TPE, I was mostly joking. ;)

Ah. Let's see....

Wow, you're a confident, self-sufficient woman who knows what she wants and can take care of herself, thank you? How scary!!!
Lol. Sorry. I was just remembering her attepts to flame me in my last thread... <_<

No worried, TPE, I was mostly joking. ;)
lol, sorry. It's ok. :fluffle: