As we move closer to the year 2024, it’s important to remember that it’s a special year because it’s a leap year. This means that February will have an extra day added to it, making it 29 days long instead of the usual 28.
Leap years occur once every four years and are based on the time it takes Earth to orbit the Sun. While the calendar says it takes 365 days for our planet to complete this journey, it actually takes 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds. To account for this extra time, we add one day every four years.
What are the traditions associated with leap years?
Leap years bring with them unique traditions from around the world. In the UK, February 29 is the day when women can propose to their partners, challenging the traditional notion that it’s only the man’s role to propose. This tradition is believed to have originated in the 5th century when an Irish nun named St. Bridget pushed for women to have the right to propose.
Another interesting tradition is celebrated in Anthony, Texas, which is known as the “Leap Year Capital of the World”. People born on February 29, also known as Leapers, gather in town every four years to celebrate their rare birthdays with music and food.
In Germany, women decorate birch trees with paper ribbons and place them in front of the homes of their crushes or boyfriends. In France, a unique newspaper called La Bougie du Sapeur is published every leap year on February 29 and is known to outsell other daily papers on that day.
Greek superstitions advise against getting married in a leap year, as it is believed that couples who do so are more likely to get divorced. It is also said that those who split from their partners in a leap year may struggle to find happiness in the future.
When is the next leap year?
Any year that is divisible by four without rounding is considered a leap year. So, the year 2024 is a leap year with an extra day added to February. The next leap year after that will be in 2028.
