Ladies, go ahead and pop the question!
Once upon a time a man would get down on one knee to ask his girlfriend the most important question he will ever ask: the proposal of marriage. It was tradition, but these days “untraditional†has become the new tradition.
In the past, women were only allowed one day to propose marriage to a man: the 29th of February, which only happens every four years. Some legends say that this tradition began in Ireland during the 5th century when St. Patrick pronounced that a woman can propose to a man during a leap year. We know for sure that in 1288, Scotland made it legal for women to do the proposing during a Leap Year.
Men traditionally pay for the engagement ring. This tradition originated when the man had a family heirloom to give to his bride. Today the ring is usually purchased prior to the proposal. With so many couples are already sharing a home and expenses, there is no reason why they shouldn’t be sharing the expense of the engagement ring as well.
Whenever and however these traditions started one thing remains true, we’ve sure come a long, long way! In this generation, not only are men not getting down on one knee to propose marriage, they may not even have to do the asking. Future brides are taking matters into their own hands. Whether its setting the date, asking for his hand in marriage or picking on the ring, women are taking charge.
And the jewelry industry may be catching on too, well at least in the UK. This past January, the British jeweler H. Samuel released a $130 male engagement ring, a titanium band embedded with a small diamond chip. So far in the U.S. no major jeweler is marketing a men’s engagement ring but I’m sure it will only be a matter of time until they do!
For all you ready to propose, here are a few great deals and beautiful rings I found while browsing through the site:
