Why do we get an extra day today?
By Maddison Leach|
Leap years only come around once every four years, so it's pretty easy to forget about them until you look at your calendar, see February 29 there and think to yourself: 'Hang on, where did that come from?'
Most of us don't give much thought to leap years at all, and unless you're one of the unlucky few with a birthday on February 29, it's easy for the extra day to come and go without even realising it.
But are leap years actually important? And why do we have them in the first place? We've got the answers to all of your leap year questions.
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What is a leap year?
A leap year is a year with 366 days instead of 365, the extra day falling on February 29 when every other year the month would end on February 28.
It's basically a corrective measure because the earth doesn't orbit the sun in exactly 365 days จC it's a little more than that จC so February 29 can help the planet and our calendars keep in sync.
If we didn't, eventually we'd fall out of pace with the seasons and over a long enough time, we'd be having Christmas in winter.
If we had leap years too often, it would only throw the calendar more out of whack, and if we didn't have them enough จC or at all จC the calendar would fall behind.
Non-leap years are known as 'common years'.
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Why is it called a leap year?
Leap years are named as such because the extra day causes each date on the calendar to jump ahead by two days compared to the last year, rather than one.
That means that if your birthday was on a Monday in 2018, it would be on a Tuesday in 2019, but then "leap" to a Thursday in 2020, then again จC today in 2024.
The actual word for adding an extra day to a calendar is "intercalation", but that doesn't sound half as good as "leap year" does.
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What are the biggest leap year traditions?
Leap year proposals are probably the biggest and most well-known traditions; in Ireland and Britain there's a long-running tradition of women proposing to men in leap years, and especially on February 29 itself.
Believed to have originated in fifth century Ireland, this was traditionally the only day a woman could propose, and it was unwise for a man to refuse.
In 1288, Queen Margaret of Scotland, who was five at the time, supposedly introduced a law that would see a man fined if he refused a woman's proposal on leap day.
The fine? A pair of leather gloves, a single rose, ?1 and a kiss to the lady.
But proposals aren't the only leap year tradition. In fact, in Greece it's considered unlucky to get married on a leap year and many couple avoid tying the knot in one.
Some workers have also wondered if they're entitled to extra pay in leap years, but it's sadly not the case.
What happens to babies born on leap day?
Hundreds of thousands of children are born on February 29 every year, making birthdays pretty difficult for them and their families.
When the actual day of your birth only comes around every four years, it can be tricky to celebrate, but most leap year babies make do by celebrating on February 28 or March 1 instead.
Sometimes nicknamed "leaplings", these kids can run into a bit of trouble when it comes to their 18th birthdays though, and some countries have specific laws defining when these teens actually come of age.
In New Zealand leaplings are considered adults on their "official" birthday on February 28, but in the UK they have to wait until March 1.
Some families can even end up with multiple leaplings in the mix, like the Henriksen family from Andenes, Norway, who have three siblings born on February 29: Heidi, born in 1960, Olav, born in 1964, and Leif-Martin, born in 1968.
They hold the official record for the most children born in one family on leap day.
As for famous leaplings, they're few and far between. Notables one include rapper and actor Ja Rule, singer Dinah Shore and musician Chris Conley.
When is the next leap year?
Leap years occur every four years, so the next one will be 2028. An easy way to keep track of them is by following the Summer Olympics จC they always happen during a leap year.
