Our Favourite Leap Day Traditions

Here at Civitatis, we love learning about different customs around the world. 2024 is a leap year, so we’ve rounded up some of our favourite Leap Year traditions for you!

Here’s a hint about some of the traditions: there’s an awful lot of proposing involved!

Ireland

Firstly, in Ireland, Leap Day is also known as Bachelor’s Day or Ladies’ Privilege, but can you guess why? While today anyone can propose to their intended and hope they say yes, it wasn’t always this way. Leap Day is when the woman proposes to her man if he is taking too long to pop that all-important question.

According to legend, Saint Brigid struck a deal with Saint Patrick in the 5th century on behalf of all the women waiting for their partner to propose. In short, Saint Patrick agreed that women could propose once every four years. How unfair!

By the 19th century this tradition was well established, as were some requirements for what a man would need to do should he refuse. If your lover said no, he needed to purchase gloves, a silk gown or a fur coat in the 20th century, and perhaps do a spot of juggling on Easter Sunday.

This custom, which is one of our favourite leap day traditions, even spread across Europe at the time, with women being able to propose to their partner in Scotland, Finland and the U.S. In Denmark, a man would even have to buy a woman 12 pairs of gloves to hide her ringless fingers should he turn her down.

Germany

Another place where one of our favourite leap day traditions takes place is Germany! Perhaps if it’s too soon to propose marriage, this is the perfect one for you!

In Germany, a tradition already exists in which boys decorate a birch tree to prove their love to their intended on 1st May. However, on 29th February women began doing the same.

Greece

Greece with its beautiful scenery and breathtaking sites, is why many couples choose this country as their wedding location. However, perhaps Leap Day isn’t the best time to hold your nuptials here!

According to local beliefs, getting married during a leap year is bad luck. Similarly, one’s probability of getting divorced also increases. There’s always next year!

Anthony, Texas and New Mexico

However, Leap Day involves more than getting married! In some corners of the world, Leap Day is a great day for a party. One of these places is Anthony, a town in the U.S. that sits on the border of Texas and New Mexico.

“Leapers”, those who were born on 29th February, gather in Anthony to celebrate their birthday in the Leap Year Capital of the World. If you’re a leaper, this is the place to be to celebrate your birthday in style. Now is the time to plan your 2024 trip to Texas!

Taiwan

If you’re feeling peckish, you’ll love this next custom! In Taiwan, many people believe that leap years are bad luck for the elderly. However, there’s a simple remedy for this.

On leap day, daughters prepare a dish of pig trotter noodles for their elderly parents. This dish brings health and good fortune. It also combats the bad luck that the elderly may suffer during this year. Does it tickle your taste buds?

France

What’s your favourite newspaper? Indeed, we’re sure it hits the newsagents more often than La Bougie du Sapeur in France!

Since 1980, this satirical French newspaper has come out once every four years on leap day, making it the least frequently published newspaper in the world! Given the excitement of this newspaper coming out, it tends to outsell all the other newspapers released on the same day. Will you grab yourself a copy this year?

Whether you’re a leaper or not, we hope you’ve enjoyed our favourite leap day traditions!