Welcome to my classroom : today’s lesson is all about Leap Year
In a leap year, the extra day is added at the end of February, giving it 29 days instead of 28. The extra day is called a leap day, or an intercalary day. It takes the earth a little bit less than 365 ¼ days (365.242 days) to orbit the Sun (solar year). For this reason, the full day is only added once every four years
- The first traces of a 365 day calendar with a leap year was in the Egyptian Empire. The goal of the Egyptians was to create a calendar that mimicked the Solar Calendar allowing them to keep their seasons on track
- Fast forward about 3,000 years and Julius Caesar, Ruler of the Roman Empire became the modern day Father of Leap Year !
- Caesar felt it was time to recognize that winter truly existed and created a 12 month 365 day calendar based off that of the Egyptians
- This new calendar was fabulous for a few years but it was slowly realized that the earth actually has 365.24 days per year as opposed to 365. To correct this, Caesar instituted a Leap Year once every four years to ensure the man-made and solar calendars stayed aligned
- Some cultures didn’t have leap year on Feb 29th — instead February 24th occured twice
- 4 million people in the world are leap day babies
- Leap day babies are called leapers or leaplings
- There is a one in 1,461 chance of being a leap day baby
- Every year divisible by 4 is a leap year
- But every year divisible by 100 is NOT a leap year
- Unless the year is also divisible by 400, then it is still a leap year.
- There will be 8 years between leap years 2096 and 2104
- Women often choose this day to propose marriage to men
Leap Year Birthdays :
The twin cities of Anthony, Texas, and Anthony, New Mexico, are the self-proclaimed Leap Year Capital of the World. They hold a four-day leap year festival that includes a huge birthday party for all leap year babies. (ID required.)
What is leap year? How many have we had since the calendar was reformed in 1582? If you were born on February 29, 1944, how old would you be? When would you celebrate your golden birthday? Why are leap years dangerous for single men?
Find the answers to these questions and more in The Leap Year Book, a collection of leap year trivia and lore. Discover what earth-shattering events occurred on February 29, what famous personalities share this erratic birth-rate, and why the advent of the leap year sent bachelors everywhere into a tailspin.
With full-color illustrations throughout, The Leap Year Book is the perfect birthday wish for all our leap year sons and daughters.https://www.amazon.com/Leap-Year-Book-Barbara-Sutton-Smith/dp/1550415980/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=leap+year+book&qid=1582815937&sr=8-5