Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Leaps and leaping

I guess I leaped right past last Wednesday and didn't post here. Today is a new day! And it's Leap Day! That makes it Sadie Hawkins Day, too.

According to this site (http://www.cryptomundo.com/cryptozoo-news/sadie-hawkins/), Sadie's Day had it roots in Scottish and English law from the thirteen century. Normal laws didn't apply on February 29th and, specifically, a woman could ask a man to marry her on that day. There was even a penalty for refusing!

Sadie's Pa, a creation of Al Capp in his comic strip, Li'l Abner, despaired of her ever catching a guy, especially after she reached the ripe old spinster age of 35. He lined up the bachelors and told them to run when he fired off his shotgun. Sadie would run after them. "Th' one she ketches'll be her husbin." The other spinsters of Dogpatch liked the idea so much, it became an annual tradition. Capp's original celebration didn't take place on Leap Day, but it should've.

3 comments:

  1. The Guardian has a quiz on famous female marriage proposals in literature--honoring the day! http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/quiz/2012/feb/29/leap-year-literary-proposals-quiz When I read it, I immediately thought of Sadie Hawkins day.. I'm a bit low brow literature :-)

    Fun post

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  2. Thanks for the link, Janet! And for stopping by. The world needs low brow. :)

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  3. I astounded myself on the quiz--I got 6 our of 9! I'm a good guesser. :)

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