Legend holds that on leap year days (some say the entire leap year – but I am sticking with today), it is socially acceptable for women to propose marriage to men; any other time of the year, etiquette and custom dictated that only men were allowed to propose marriage.

This may be seen as rather an outdated notion, but with a little more digging, there is a great deal of evidence about the tradition of Leap Year parties. Throughout the 19th century, the 29th February was the day women invited the men to be their dates and dance partners, whilst being in charge of the festivities. Today is clearly therefore the day of unexpected courtship; whether it be for coffee, dinner or a weekend away, the ball is in your court…

If all else fails, I would suggest referring to The Savoy Cocktail Book that insists it has created a leap year cocktail that has been “responsible for more proposals than any other cocktail that has ever been mixed.” The success of the resultant marriage may be questionable, but at least you’ll of had fun along the way!