Back before it was chic for a woman to propose marriage to a man, the leap year provided a day on which women could propose with no cultural backlash.
The tradition allegedly took off in Ireland in the 5th Century, when someone complained to St. Patrick that women had to wait too long for a good man to propose. Legend has it that St. Patrick designated the day in February on leap years for women to propose. Supposedly, in 1288, a law was even passed by Queen Margaret of Scotland that gave women the right to propose.
In the United States, the tradition lives on in the form of Sadie Hawkins Day, when many schools hold dances and encourage girls to ask the boys.
MAKE IT A STORY
Run a reader callout:Did any of your readers propose to their beaus on leap day or any other day? Have them tell their stories.
Sidebar idea:Contacting a sociology professor at a local college and ask them about cultural norms — how they get started, whether some of them are breaking down. This would make for a good “5 Things To Know”
Man-on-the-street:Ask people in your community what other “cultural norms” they think should be abolished one day out of the year.
New this year, several world-wide organizations are calling on people to recognize Feb. 29 as Rare Disease Day. In the United States, a disease is classified as rare when it affects fewer than 200,000 Americans.
MAKE IT A STORY
Find local people affected: Are there people in your community trying to raise awareness of a rare disease? Now would be a good time to highlight their stories. Doctors or hospitals in the area could provide some background – and weigh in on whether enough is being done to raise awareness of these diseases.
For more information:Visit www.rarediseaseday.org.
Back before it was chic for a woman to propose marriage to a man, the leap year provided a day on which women could propose with no cultural backlash.
The tradition allegedly took off in Ireland in the 5th Century, when someone complained to St. Patrick that women had to wait too long for a good man to propose. Legend has it that St. Patrick designated the day in February on leap years for women to propose. Supposedly, in 1288, a law was even passed by Queen Margaret of Scotland that gave women the right to propose.
In the United States, the tradition lives on in the form of Sadie Hawkins Day, when many schools hold dances and encourage girls to ask the boys.
MAKE IT A STORY
Run a reader callout:Did any of your readers propose to their beaus on leap day or any other day? Have them tell their stories.
Sidebar idea:Contacting a sociology professor at a local college and ask them about cultural norms — how they get started, whether some of them are breaking down. This would make for a good “5 Things To Know”
Man-on-the-street:Ask people in your community what other “cultural norms” they think should be abolished one day out of the year.
New this year, several world-wide organizations are calling on people to recognize Feb. 29 as Rare Disease Day. In the United States, a disease is classified as rare when it affects fewer than 200,000 Americans.
MAKE IT A STORY
Find local people affected: Are there people in your community trying to raise awareness of a rare disease? Now would be a good time to highlight their stories. Doctors or hospitals in the area could provide some background – and weigh in on whether enough is being done to raise awareness of these diseases.
For more information:Visit www.rarediseaseday.org.
