Will you marry me this leap year?

2016 is a leap year, which means, if you adhere to tradition and folklore, this is the once-in-four-year opportunity for ladies to pop the marriage question to their partners.

There are many legends and reasons behind the leap year proposal idea; perhaps the most-often cited is St. Brigid of Kildare who, frustrated that so many women were not getting married because their shy suitors were not asking them, appealed to St. Patrick to allow women to propose every leap year (women were normally not allowed to propose at all). He agreed and St. Brigid promptly asked St. Patrick on the next available leap year to marry him. Ireland’s Patron Saint kissed St. Brigid, said no and gave her a silk gown to show her there were no hard feelings. Highly unlikely as St. Patrick was probably dead long before St. Brigid was born, but it’s a good tale.

Perhaps you don’t need a leap year to ask your beloved, but it’s certainly a great reason to, especially if you’ve been waiting longer than you hoped for him to ask you!

And where could be a more romantic and memorable place to ask the big question than in France this February 29?

Here’s a plan to help you make your proposal story the best ever:

On Valentine’s Day, surprise your beloved with a specially made Campervan Valentine’s Trip “Voucher”. And, of course, your Valentine’s trip will include Monday, 29 February – the auspicious proposal day! We’ll send you your special voucher in time for you to present it to your partner on 14 February. Click here to get a quote for your trip.

Need inspiration for where to pop the question on the 29th? We suggest heading to the beautiful Champagne region, an easy one-hour drive from our depot, where you could go down on bent knee in any one of its beautiful villages, such as Chateau-Thierry, Condé-en-Brie or Romeny-sur-Marne along the Marne Valley trail.

And if you can’t make it to France in February, don’t worry, you could still propose on the 29th wherever you are, then hand over the special voucher announcing the location of your honeymoon! Just the two of you in the most romantic place on Earth: France, together, in a fully fitted, cosy or cool campervan!

And remember, if your man refuses, he must, in the tradition of St. Brigid, give you a fabulous silk gown!