Leap Year Proposals

It is the 29th of February, a leap year. This extra day only comes around every 4 years but why? It takes 365 1/4 days for the Earth to rotate around the sun but the calendar year is only 365 days so every 4 years, we add an extra day to keep everything straight. If we didn't add the extra day, our calendar would gradually fall out of line with the seasons. 

 

We use the phrase leap year because each date on the calendar jumps ahead 2 days instead of 1. So if your birthday was a Monday last year, it will be a Wednesday this year. It was allegedly Julius Caesar who came up with the leap year idea. 

 

The odds of being born on leap day, the 29th of February, are one in 1,461. Someone born on a leap day will only have one proper birthday every 4 years or 10 proper birthdays by the time they are 40! In the non-leap years, they will celebrate birthdays the day before or the day after. 

 

Now, it is not clear where the tradition started, possibly in Scotland as far back as 1288, but 29th February is a day when women can traditionally propose to men. Any man who refused a marriage proposal was fined a kiss, a silk dress, or twelve pairs of gloves. 

 

If you are entertaining the notion of proposing, we offer a word of caution. The average cost of legal fees for each party to secure a divorce in the UK is fast approaching £20,000 each if you instruct solicitors. Enjoy the extra day!! 

 

Get in touch with us today if you require assistance in the Family Court.