If you’re looking for a sign, this is it. Get ready to get engaged this March 20, because it’s National Proposal Day! Whether you’re planning a giant flashmob (we really hope you are) or a romantic declaration of love over dinner, March 20 is the day we celebrate proposals in all their forms. Why March 20, you ask? Well, it’s the first day of spring! So get outside, enjoy the wonderful weather, and show your loved one how much you care.
National Proposal Day timeline
Austria’s Archduke Maximilian proposes to Mary of Burgundy by giving her a ring with flat diamonds arranged in the letter ‘M.’
Men in Europe and the U.S. start the tradition of kneeling when proposing, fashioned after the gesture of medieval knights.
The De Beers diamond company is founded by Cecil Rhodes.
Artist Roy Lichtenstein paints ‘The Ring (Engagement).’
National Proposal Day Media Coverage
National Proposal Day Activities
Step up your proposal game
If you’re planning to propose, this is your chance to think long and hard about how you’re going to do it. If you were planning to propose over dinner, don’t just cook anything. Find out what your significant other’s favorite dish is! If you wanted to propose in front of friends or family, make sure her favorite family members are all present. This is your opportunity to plan the world’s most perfect engagement.
Put yourself out there
Okay, we know not everyone is close to getting engaged this March 20. However, if you’re single, take this as your sign to mingle like heck on National Proposal Day. Take out your Bumble or Tinder and go wild. Take your dog to a park and bump into a charmingly befuddled stranger. The options are endless, and you’ll soon be on track for a proposal of your own.
Start the conversation
If you have a long-term significant other, talk to them about your future together. It’s never easy (or, let’s be honest, pleasant) to initiate a conversation like this. However, it’s necessary. You don’t want to date someone for three years and find out they were never serious the whole time! So dive headlong into this awkward conversation, and see what results.
Why We Love National Proposal Day
It gives you the push you need
Proposing to the one you love can be incredibly scary. You know they’re in love with you, but it’s still hard to take the next step in your relationship. Do you elaborately propose in public? Do you keep it simple and cook your boo his or her favorite dinner? It’s difficult to plan, and scary to think about. That’s why we need National Proposal Day—it gives us the push we need to get the job done.
You’ll always remember your anniversary
How many times have you tried and failed to remember the anniversary of when you and your significant other started dating? How many times have you awoken in a cold sweat, thinking you needed to run to CVS in the morning and get your boo chocolate because you thought your anniversary might be the next day? If you propose on National Proposal Day, all you have to do to remember that date is to use good ol’ Google. No more awkwardly asking your fiance(e)!
There will be proposals all around
There’s nothing that we love more than a good public proposal. We’re still waiting to spontaneously join a proposal flashmob, but that’s neither here nor there. Usually, it’s rare to run across a public proposal. But on National Proposal Day, we won’t even have to try! All we have to do is go outside, because there will be proposals everywhere. Love is all around, and we love love.
National Proposal Day dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | March 20 | Friday |
| 2027 | March 20 | Saturday |
| 2028 | March 20 | Monday |
| 2029 | March 20 | Tuesday |
| 2030 | March 20 | Wednesday |
National Proposal Day Featured Video
National Proposal Day
