When we
think of proposals today, we imagine a man on one knee proposing to a woman.
But this has not always been the case. In ancient days, men would make a
marriage agreement with the father of the bride. This is where the old
tradition of a man asking the woman's father for permission to marry his
daughter. The custom of proposing on one knee goes back to the days of knights
when it was custom for a knight to bow on one knee to his mistress as a show of
servitude. At the end of betrothal in the 1800's, women took a much more active
seat in love and marriage. At this time it was acceptable for a woman of a high
social stature to propose to a man. This was the case of Queen Victoria who
proposed to Prince Albert in 1839. Lower class women also proposed, but this
was less frequent.
By Nicole Mazzeo
Wrapwithus wedding favors
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