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.

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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).

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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.

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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.

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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a good relationship with their significant other’s parents (21%, ugh!). 14% simply dismissed the tradition as being outdated.

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What other things do people believe are outdated?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%)

Photo by Jeremy Wong Weddings on Unsplash
Photo by Jeremy Wong Weddings on Unsplash
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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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