In the 1800’s and early 1900’s, it was tradition that on 31st December, the wife would kneel in front of her husband and apologise for everything she got wrong during the course of the year.

Traditionally Catholics kneel in church and when receiving communion to give honour and worship to God. We also kneel when receiving a blessing. I remember one young woman dropping to her knees to get a blessing from a priest. Rather dramatic and unexpected as we were all standing around drinking coffee after mass.

I notice that the Catholic police commissioner in the TV series Blue Bloods kisses the ring on the finger of the Cardinal Archbishop of New York in one episode.

Catholics are used to such signs of reverence.

However the idea of a wife kneeling to her husband, as Cane Caldo suggests, does not feel right. It borders on idolatry.

As I have discussed here before and as women in guest posts have remarked, there are more appropriate ways for wives to show respect should they wish to do so. Curtsying perhaps, although that is mostly associated these days with maids in costume dramas on TV.