Leap Day

Every four years, we tack on an extra day at the end of February, because we just love February that much. Well that’s not really the reason. Alright, so in the Gregorian calendar, our year is based off of the rotation of the earth around the sun which takes 365 days…right? Wrong. It actually takes a little bit more than that, about a quarter of a day more than that. And, people weren’t quite keen on celebrating New Year’s 6 hours later than the year before; thus, the idea of Leap Day came into play (Disclaimer: New Year’s celebrations had nothing to do with it). This way, every four years, we add on an extra day to get us back on track in our planetary cycle.

So maybe you’re worldly and know everything there is to know about Leap Days and Leap Frog and other things that leap. But here are some fun things about Leap Day that you may not have known or considered:

  • February 29th is also home to “Rare Diseases Day” because, ya know, the date’s rare.

  • If you work on a fixed annual wage, you work for free on this date, since it’s not factored in as extra time.

  • Astrologers believe that people born on February 29th have weird talents and abilities.

  • In many cultures it is considered unlucky to get married during a Leap Year, 1/5 engaged couples in Greece will actively try to avoid a Leap Year marriage.

So, take this extra day and run with it. Or treat it just like any other day. Leap Day is whatever you make of it.

 

Contributed By: Meredith Ray