June is famous as the most popular month for weddings, but do wedding proposals have an ideal time? Every relationship has its own schedule, and every couple is unique. But nonetheless, three days in the calendar are particularly popular for popping the question, and they are concentrated in a nine-week period that’s coming right up.
Christmas, New Year’s and St. Valentine’s Day have long led the field as popular days for proposals. Maybe it’s the cozy feel of cold months, or the warmth and goodwill of Christmas. Perhaps New Year’s reminds us that time is fleeting and when we’ve found the one, we shouldn’t waste it. Of course, St. Valentine’s Day is all about romantic love, so it makes perfect sense to ask the ultimate question on such a day.
The Irish are true romantics, even if we are low key about it. The symbolism in many Irish gifts is all about true and faithful love. Our poetry and songs might be tragic, but they are largely tragic love stories. They remind us to appreciate the love stories with happy endings, and aspire to be among them. So it isn’t really a surprise that Irish engagement rings are so rich in meaningful symbolism.
Irish Engagement Ring Symbolism
An Irish engagement ring is a statement as well as a symbol of your plans to marry. It says something about your love story and your hopes for your shared future. Many Irish gifts hint at a story, and engagement and wedding rings are no different.
The Claddagh Ring
The Claddagh design is a classic. It features a heart representing love held in two hands symbolizing friendship with a crown above the heart, which stands for loyalty. This ring has a romantic backstory. The designer was from Claddagh, a fishing village in County Galway. He was captured and sold into servitude to a goldsmith in Algeria, where he learned the craft and designed the icon ring to represent his feelings for his beloved back in Galway. When he finally gained his freedom, he returned to Ireland, found she had waited for him, and proposed, giving her the first Claddagh engagement ring. The design appears on many Irish gifts, but it has a very special meaning on an engagement or wedding ring.
Trinity Knot Engagement Rings
The Trinity Knot is an ancient Celtic design with more than one interpretation. It is three loops made with a single, unending line. The unbroken line is a distinctive theme in Celtic knotwork that represents eternity, a perfect expression of your undying love. While some Christians see the three loops as symbols of the Holy Trinity of God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit, three has been a meaningful number in Ireland since before Christianity. It also represents the past, present and future, particularly generations of a family.
If you are planning to pop the question this winter, this is the time to make some decisions about the engagement ring. You can carefully question your beloved – and their friends – about whether they prefer to choose an Irish ring or be surprised by one.