Leap Year

Leaping into the New Year

January 3, 2020 | Fun Stuff, Holidays | Leave A Comment

Happy New Year! Are you ready for 2020? I have big expectations for this year because it marks the start of a new decade — some folks are already calling it the Roaring 20s — and it’s a leap year. Think of all the babies born on February 29, the next leap day, who will have special birthdays.

Here are some interesting facts about leap years.

The extra day is added to the Gregorian calendar every four years to synchronize the solar year to balance out the 365.25 days it takes to orbit the sun.

The practice of adding an extra day began in 46 BC when the Julian calendar (decreed by Julius Caesar) was created.

In the U.S., leap years coincide with presidential election years.

Couples in Greece avoid getting married in leap years to avoid bad luck. Russians also believe leap years herald trouble such as freak weather patterns.

People born on February 29 (leap day) are called “leaplings” or “leapers” and there is a special group for them: The Honor Society of Leap Year Day Babies.

Notable events — not all bad — that occurred during leap years: George Armstrong Custer fought the Battle of the Little Bighorn (1876), the Titanic sank (1912), Benjamin Franklin proved that lightning is electricity (1752) and and gold was discovered in California (1848).

There is a movie titled Leap Year. Released in 2010, it stars Amy Adams and Matthew Goode.