Almost half of NJ finds this marriage tradition outdated
A few weeks ago, a study was done by DatingNews that found a little over half of young adults still believed in asking a partner’s parents for permission to marry.
Let’s take a look at the other side of this, though… The side I absolutely find myself on.
Almost half of New Jerseyans, 43%, would not ask for their significant other’s parents’ blessing before proposing.
Personally, I’m shocked that the percentage isn’t higher.
According to The Knot:
The tradition of a groom asking a bride's father for his blessing to marry his daughter dates back all the way to ancient Rome (we're talking BC).
Back in those days, women were considered to be the property of their fathers until they married and ultimately became the property of their husbands.
So, we’re keeping up a tradition where women are treated like property? Oh, cool.
No thanks. I can decide for myself how I want to spend my life and with whom.
New Jersey pushes back against this patriarchal silliness more than a lot of states. The national average for young adults foregoing this ancient tradition is only 28%.
DatingNews dug deeper. They asked those who rejected asking for permission why.
The answers ranged from feeling confident enough in their relationship that they felt no need for a blessing (41%), to feeling it wasn’t relevant to their partner’s beliefs (24%), to not having a good relationship with their significant other’s parents (21%, ugh!). 14% simply dismissed the tradition as being outdated.
What other things do people believe are outdated?
❤️ Not sleeping together before marriage (44%)
❤️ Living together only after marriage (15%)
❤️ Taking their partner’s last name (12%)
❤️ Having a religious ceremony (4%)
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The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5's Kylie Moore. Any opinions expressed are Kylie's own. You can follow Kylie on Instagram.
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