Learn How Leap Years Keep Our Calendar Accurate
Are you ready for 2024? It is a Leap Year! Let us explain why we have Leap Years and some fun facts and folklore about Leap Years and leaplings.
What Is a Leap Year?
Simply put, a leap year is a year with an extra day—February 29—added nearly every four years to the calendar year.
Why Are Leap Years Necessary?
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Adding an extra day every four years keeps our calendar aligned correctly with the astronomical seasons, since a year according to the Gregorian calendar (365 days) and a year according to Earth’s orbit around the Sun (approximately 365.25 days) are not the same length of time. Without this extra day, our calendar and the seasons would gradually get out of sync. (Keep reading for a longer explanation.)
Because of this extra day, a leap year has 366 days instead of 365. Additionally, a leap year does not end and begins on the same day of the week as a non–leap year does.
How Do You Know If It’s a Leap Year?
Generally, a leap year happens every four years, which, thankfully, is a relatively simple pattern to remember. However, there is a little more to it than that.
Here are the rules of leap years:
- A year may be a leap year if it is evenly divisible by 4.
- Years divisible by 100 (century years such as 1900 or 2000) cannot be leap years unless they are also divisible by 400. (For this reason, the years 1700, 1800, and 1900 were not leap years, but the years 1600 and 2000 were.)
If a year satisfies both the rules above, it is a leap year.
When Is the Next Leap Year? When is the Next Leap Day?
| Leap Year | Leap Day |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Thursday, February 29 |
| 2028 | Tuesday, February 29 |
| 2032 | Sunday, February 29 |
| 2036 | Friday, February 29 |
Why Do We Need Leap Years?
The short explanation for why we need leap years is that our calendar needs to stay aligned with the astronomical seasons.
One orbit of Earth around the Sun takes approximately 365.25 days—a little more than our Gregorian calendar’s nice, round number of 365. Because the calendar does not account for the extra quarter of a day that the Earth requires to complete its orbit around the Sun, it doesn’t completely align with the solar year.
Because of this .25 difference, our calendar gradually gets out of sync with the seasons. Adding an extra day, aka a “leap day,” to the calendar every four years brings the calendar in line and, therefore, realigns it with the seasons.
Without leap days, the calendar would be off by 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 45 seconds more each year.
After 100 years, the seasons would be off by 25 days! Eventually, the months we call February and March would feel like summer in the Northern Hemisphere.
The extra leap day adjusts this drift, but it’s not a perfect match: Adding a leap day every four years overcompensates by a few extra seconds each leap year, adding up to about three extra days every 10,000 years.
What Is a Leap Day? And a Leapling?
A “leap day” is the extra day in the leap year: February 29. A “leapling” is a person born on a leap day. Leap Day is the rarest birthday in the Gregorian calendar.
Are there any leap-day babies out there? Do you celebrate on the 28th of February or the 1st of March—or, every four years (just kidding)? We suggest that all leaplings get two free slices of cake on non-Leap Years. And that you go all out on the Leap Years!
Leap Year Facts and Folklore
- Ages ago, Leap Day was known as “Ladies Day” or “Ladies’ Privilege,” as it was the one day when women were free to propose to men. Today, Sadie Hawkins Day sometimes applies to Feb 29 (leap day), based on this older tradition.
- According to folklore, the weather always changes on Friday in a leap year.
- “Leap year was ne’er a good sheep year” (old proverb)
Are Leap Years Bad Luck?
Many feel that to be born on Leap Day, thereby becoming a “leapling,” is a sign of good luck.
In some cultures, getting married during a leap year is considered bad luck.
We don’t know of any evidence supporting that marriage theory, but we do know that during leap years:
- Rome burned (64),
- and the Titanic sank (1912).
Also, in leap years:
- The Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts (1620),
- Benjamin Franklin proved that lightning is electricity (1752),
- and gold was discovered in California (1848).
Do you have any leap year memories? Are you a Leapling yourself? Please share in the comments below!
Catherine Boeckmann
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I was married on leap year day 1992
Davy Jones passed away on leap day February 29th 2012 loved him on the monkeys.
Ok but why is the leap day always added on to the end of February?
Great question! As it turns out, it stems from the Roman calendar system (from which the Julian calendar and then Gregorian calendar evolved). An early Roman calendar system had 10 months (equivalent to March through December, with March starting the calendar year). Around 700 B.C., January and February were added, as part of a series of tweaks to keep things aligned with the seasons, with February originally being at the end of the year. To get things back on track with the seasons, occasionally a intercalary month called Mercedonius would be added to the calendar—in the midst of February.
At the time of Julius Caesar, the 12-month Roman calendar, based in part on lunar motion, was again becoming out of sync. Caesar, aided by the Greek astronomer Sosigenes, reformed the calendar system, changing it to a totally solar calendar: This was the Julian calendar. As part of this new calendar system, the civil year started with January and a leap day (rather than an intercalary month) was added to February every four years. Eventually, the Gregorian calendar evolved as further tweaks were made to align with Earth’s orbit.
Hope this helps! For more information, you might like the following article.
https://www.almanac.com/content/month-february-holidays-fun-facts-folklore
Greetings my identical twin and I are born on a leap year we are celebrating our 14 th birthday this year 🥳🧁👯
I am a leapling. Born February 29, 1956. Never thought much about my birthday in my younger years. But now I embrace it and have fun. In 2020, my colleagues at work gave me a sweet sixteen party. I work at a community college and plan to have a party at my house on February 29 to raise money for our Student Emergency Fund. Party attendees will also be asked to bring a canned good for our Foodbank. In 2028, I hope to visit Anthony,NM. The Leap Year capital of the world! Happy birthday fellow leaplings!
My mom was a leapling, she was born on February 29, 1936. Glorious woman and great mom. Lost her in January of 2015. She had a rough life but still had time for anyone who needed care and love. I miss her so much.
I’m a leaping! Born February 29,1968. Wouldn’t have it any other way!
Turned (Leap Year ) 18 ...Asked if I had to sign-up for the DRAFT Again !! Was told YES..And if I could do a Push-up .....Told the last time was when I fell out of bed and had to Push myself Up..............Gunny Sgt. said YOUR HIRED !! Bus is Leaving in 20 minutes !!
My youngest son is a leap year baby or baby to me. His birthday is 02/29/1992.
Happy Birthday to all
