happy sadie hawkins day... hmmmm there may be a prospect at the fundraiser today...
(hah.)
Sadie Hawkins Day:
FEBRUARY 29th is also known as Sadie Hawkins Day.
Rules of courtship were more strict in years past. Women who were hoping to marry their beaus had to wait for a proposal; they were not allowed to pop the question themselves... except on one day, every four years. You guessed it, on Feb 29!
Sadie Hawkins Day, developed out of the popular cartoon strip "Li' Abner" by Al Capp. In her article in the Baltimore Sun on Feb 29, 1992, writer Sandra Crockett writes- "a female character named 'Sadie Hawkins' who lived in the fictional town Dogpatch was having a tough time getting a man to propose to her. Her father, the mayor of said fictional town, declared one day, 'Sadie Hawkin's' day. The unmarried women in Dogpatch ran -- literally -- after unmarried men to propose that day."
The tradition actually started with St. Patrick and St. Bridget (5th Century) in Ireland. St. Bridget complained to St. Patrick that the sisters in her nunnery were in despair because the prevailing tradition at the time -- that women had to wait for a proposal of marriage from a man. St.Patrick agreed to allow women to propose to men every four years, during Leap Year. Afterwards, Bridget proposed to Patrick only to be turned down!
So women, February 29th is you're day to ask that special someone. Just keep your eye out for St. Patricks.
