Ring by Spring

Listen to my report on to see how the shifting face of marriage has changed the Ring by Spring tradition at Notre Dame.

"Ring by Spring" is a marriage tradition dating back to coeducation at Notre Dame. The term refers to couples who become engaged before graduating from college. As the legend goes, a couple will take a romantic walk around the lakes, the boyfriend will propose to his girlfriend at the Grotto, and their wedding will take place at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. These three steps complete the Ring by Spring tradition.

At Notre Dame, where traditions abound, Ring by Spring is perceived to have been wildly popular in the past. I interviewed different parties at Notre Dame to get the inside scoop about Ring by Spring. Kailyn and Mark, seniors who became engaged last December, discussed their reasons for wanting to marry. Professor Pamela Butler, an expert on the history of marriage in America, discussed the implications of marrying at a young age and how Ring by Spring fits into the larger history of marriage in this country. Lastly, Freshman Katie DuFour shared the results of the study she did at Notre Dame about whether or not people are interested in getting engaged at a young age and her opinions on the tradition.

I came to the conclusion that Ring by Spring is not as common as it is perceived to be at Notre Dame. While there are still a number of undergraduate couples who are engaged, they are in the minority of their class and often judged by their classmates for choosing to get married so early. Most importantly, their motivation to get engaged is not at all connected to an interest in carrying out the Ring by Spring fantasy. Kailyn and Mark insist that the Ring by Spring tradition had nothing to do with their motivation to get engaged before graduation. They feel they are simply ready to settle down and live their lives together.

In history, marrying young could benefit women especially. Many of them attended college looking to obtain an "MRS degree," basically on the lookout for a future husband. Once becoming engaged, they gained the security the marriage provided. In the present, this reality no longer exists. In fact, marrying young can work against the potential economic prosperity a women will have in her career. Especially at Notre Dame, where a large majority of women are career focused and capable.

Marrying young has shifted from goal to a happenstance.