Logic behind why we get down on knees to propose a person
From getting down on one knee to diamond rings and the ring finger – where our weird engagement traditions started? This is a basic question that popes in everybody’s mind. There is no doubt that proposals are a stressful affair. It requires ‘will’ to ask for a proposal. It is just an endless nerve-wracking situation. With all that anxiety you may or may not have stopped to think about why you are getting down on bended knee to propose, but there is a historical reason why we do.
History provide us reason that why we knee down to propose someone. Knights knelt down in front of their lords to show respect, obedience and loyalty – and pledge allegiance. It was also linked to religious ceremonies where people praying would kneel at set moments to show more respect.
When a gentleman kneel down to propose someone he shows his love and gratitude for the lady.
Here, are following reasons for all your actions:
1. Asking for your hand in marriage
The man asks for the father’s blessing before actually popping the question. The traditionalists among us may still do this, but how did it start? Of course, it dates back to when women were not seen as equals and the whole getting hitched thing wasn’t very romantic. It was more a case of asking for the father’s property – essentially it was a contract between two families and the bride was the piggy in the middle.
2. Spending 3 months’ salary
The weird thing about the three month rule is there is actually no historical reason for this. Yes, this is true! The idea is the proposer spends three months of their salary on the diamond ring, but a diamond is not really linked in any way to someone’s salary. It doesn’t have to cost three months salary
3. Why do we even buy an engagement ring?
This one is all down to Pope Innocent III. In 1214 he introduced a law stating couples who wanted to get married had to have a waiting period before actually going through with it. To mark it and show their commitment they had to wear a ring to symbolise they were ‘taken’. At first the rings were simple and were made of cheap metal. It was only the elite that wore the precious metals.
4. Engagement announcement
The only time we see these seem to be when Royals get married, or noble families that want to put a big old advert in a ‘paper. While it may not really be a thing anymore, we have Pope Innocent to thank for this again. In 1215 he decreed couples intending to marry had to formally announce it. Simple.
again, we will just rush past the fact the practical reason was to give people the chance to intervene if the marriage was incestuous.
