What were you doing on the 29th of September 2022?
If not for Julius Caesar and the Egyptians 🇪🇬 that may have been today’s date. 🤔 What now?
The earth takes 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 56 seconds to orbit the sun. Awkward…
A single orbit is one year, this translates to 365.242190 days… Still awkward.
So in 45 BC, to avoid the chaos of the seasons shifting over time, JC — Julius, not Jesus — adjusted it. Although with global warming, this may be a moot point — a discussion for another day, perhaps…
It took a while to perfect it, but by 12AD they decided to collect the extra 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 56 seconds, which over four years created an extra day. Woo hoo! Giving us 366 days in the fourth year.
As the calendar jumps 🐸 by a day in the fourth year, it is known as the ‘Leap’ year. And consequently the day, 29th of February is known as a Leap Day.
Leap (noun): A forceful jump or quick movement or…a group of leopards (sometimes)
February takes this burden simply because the Romans believed it to be an unlucky month as it was dedicated to honoring the dead. I suppose they wouldn’t care — and it is the only month significantly deficient in days, so fair enough.
This was for practical and agricultural reasons — and much later religious, as Pope Gregory XIII wanted Easter to be at the same time every year, culminating in the Gregorian Calendar in 1582. Which, by the way, is our current calendar.
However, now the date is mostly synonymous with folklore, humour, and traditions all over the world such as ‘Ladies Privilege’, 💃🏼 which contrary to the title seems to me rather an insult. It started in Ireland, with a deal struck by St. Bridget and St. Patrick, where one day every four years, women were allowed to propose to men! Outrageous! But equal rights were not heard of then… so we’ll forgive and forget…maybe.
And then there is the counterattack aptly labeled as ‘Batchelor’s Day’, 🕺🏼where on the same day if a man refused such a proposal they are honour bound to give the woman twelve gifts, one for each month in compensation. Hmmm…could be an incentive to revive the privilege!… Maybe…not.
Another less-than-savory story is that men would give twelve gloves 🧤 supposedly to hide their lady’s ringless fingers. 💍 Honestly…!
In Scotland, it’s considered bad luck to be born on February 29th. 🎁 Well you’d only get a birthday present every four years… So that’s just mean and unlucky to have miserly family and friends.
And in Greece, no one marries on this date for fear that the marriage will end. 💔
Anomalies tend to be treated with fear or disdain, regardless of the natural and practical reasons behind them. And it didn’t help that in 2020, just four years ago, on a leap year, the pandemic struck. Talk about bad luck.
But some cultures do consider it a day of good fortune. In Anthony, Texas they celebrate it with a 3-day-long festival. And why not?
We gain an extra day every four years, which amounts to nearly 20 extra days in an average human lifespan. That’s a positive! And if not for Ceasar, we could have lost even more time!
So, what does this extra day mean for you?