四年一遇的2.29：女生表白求婚的专属日！

（电影《闰年》的女主角就是打算在2月29日向男朋友求婚的恨嫁女郎）

Custom allows marriage-minded gals to propose to their boyfriends on February 29. Leap Year has been the traditional time that women can propose marriage. 想结婚的姑娘们，可以在2月29号向男朋友求婚啦！闰年已经成了国际女性求爱日的传统。

February 29th marks the leap year for all those who follow the Roman calendar, and on that day, the tradition since medieval times has allowed women the privilege to propose marriage to their desired patriarchal figure. 根据罗马历法，2月29日标志着四年一遇的闰年的到来。2.29的女性求爱日传统可以追溯到中世纪时期：女性可以使用专属特权向心仪已久的男子表白求婚。

It is believed this origin of "The Ladies' Privilege" was started in 5th century Ireland when St. Bridget complained to St. Patrick about women having to wait for so long for a man to propose. According to legend, St. Patrick said the yearning females could propose on this one day in February during the leap year. 据说“女士特权”传统起源自公元五世纪的爱尔兰。爱尔兰修女Bridget 向圣徒Patrick抱怨女性要等很久才能等到男子求婚。根据传说，圣徒Patrick于是给渴望婚姻的女性一个机会，她们可以在闰年2月的29日向男士求婚。

Another school of thought held that a man so entreated either had to accept the proposal or pay the refused woman a substantial forfeit for turning her down, such as a silk gown or £ 100. Indeed, it was widely reported that a Scottish Act of Parliament from the 13th Century had mandated this. The first documentation of this practice dates back to a 1288 decree by Queen Margaret of Scotland, under which men who declined the invitation to wed were fined £100. In another form of the belief, men who said no were not on the hook to buy expensive presents for the disappointed girls or to pay fines, but their refusals attracted ill fortune to themselves. 关于女性表白求婚传统的另一种说法是，被表白的男士要么选择接受求婚，如果拒绝求婚需要向女性支付数量可观的伤心补偿费，一件绸袍或是100英镑。一种流传甚广的说法是苏格兰国会法案早在13世纪就通过确定2月29日为“妇女权利日”的法律，1288年当时的玛格丽特女王颁布法令，宣布在闰年的2月29日，女人可以向男人求婚，并对无拘无束地追逐女性，又拒绝接受警告的男人实行罚款。还有一种观念是拒绝的男士不用给失望的求婚女孩买礼物或是付罚款，但拒绝求婚可能会给他们带来厄运。

【相关文化习俗】

Sadie Hawkins Day 美国版的女性求婚日：赛迪-霍金斯节

In the United States, some people have referred to the first Saturday in November as Sadie Hawkins Day with women being given the right to run after unmarried men to propose. 美国版的女性表白求婚日在11月的第一个星期六，赛迪-霍金斯节这一天（小编注：系列卡通漫画《小阿伯那尔》中的虚构节日）。女士可以追在未婚男士后面向他们求婚表白。

Greek Superstition 希腊人的闰年迷信

There is a Greek superstition that claims couples have bad luck if they marry during a leap year. Apparently one in five engaged couples in Greece will avoid planning their wedding during a leap year. 希腊人有一种迷信说法是新人如果在闰年结婚会带来霉运。在希腊，每五对订婚的情侣中就要一对会竭力避免在闰年举行婚礼。