What Are You Going To Do??

 We are only two days away, what are you planning on doing this coming Thursday? You do know what it is don’t you?

    It’s Leap Day! We only get one every four years, what do you plan on doing on this special extra day?

    The Gregorian calendar, the one that most of us use is 365 days long except for once every four years when it is 366 days. The calendar reflects our trip around the sun, BUT, the earth’s orbit takes just a little longer than 365 days, it actually takes 365.25 days. (rounded off) So every four years we add a day to the calendar to account for this difference. If we didn’t do this, we would become out of sync with the seasons. After 100 years we would be about 24 days away from where we should be.

    Adding this day can cause some problems, especially for those who are born on February 29^th. They, “Leaplings”, can only celebrate their birthdays once every four years. Even though they have lived 8 years, they’d only be celebrating their second birthday. Legally, they are 8 but it sounds a lot cooler to say they’re 2. There are about 4 million people in the world who were born on Leap Day!

    Obviously, February 29^th is the least common birthday of the year. It is followed by Christmas Day, (Dec. 25^th) and then New Years Day. (Jan. 1^st) In case you’re wondering, the most common day for a baby to be born is September 9^th.

    An interesting fact, though not really about Leap Year but years in general, is that on October 4^th, 1582, when the Gregorian calendar was introduced; in order to align it with the Julian calendar they had to eliminate 10 days. So, the new calendar started on October 15^th and the days between the 4^th and the 14^th never happened. No one was born and no one died on those dates. There is no history recorded between those days, nothing happened.

    In some countries, Leap Day is considered unlucky; you shouldn’t get married on that day. According to one legend, St. Patrick designated February 29^th as the day that woman can propose to men. In Scotland and England, men who refuse these proposals have to purchase several pairs of gloves for the woman. In Germany, you can decorate a Birch tree with ribbons to show your love. In Taiwan, it is supposedly tradition to cook pig trotters (feet) to bring good fortune to the elderly.

    It is also a day for frog jokes, (Leap year, get it?) so I’ll leave you with these three leap-year/dad/frog jokes.

          *How does a frog feel after his leg gets broken?            Unhoppy

          *What happens after a frog’s car breaks down?            It gets toad

          *What do stylish frogs wear?        Jump suits with open toad sandals

    Most of you will be going to work or school, whatever it might be that you’re doing, enjoy it! It’s a free day! It won’t be until 2028 that we will get another one!