Leap year 2024: Why we get February 29 this year, and (almost) every four years

February always is the odd month out by being the shortest. But this year, it gets an extra day.

February is the shortest month of the year, but every four years we add a leap day, and 2024 just so happens to get that extra day. The last leap year we had was in 2020 and there won’t be another one until 2028.

 

When is leap year?

This year, and leap day is this week. We get an extra day on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. After that, the next leap years are 2028 and 2032.

Why do we have leap year?

A typical year is just a little over 365 days. More accurately, it is 365 days 5 hours 48 minutes and 56 seconds, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Museum. That extra 5 hours 48 minutes and 56 seconds starts to add up and needs to be accounted for somehow. Hence, leap years… sort of If we don’t account for this extra time, the seasons would begin to drift and soon summer would be in the middle of December.

“The rule is that if the year is divisible by 100 and not divisible by 400, leap year is skipped. The year 2000 was a leap year, for example, but the years 1700, 1800, and 1900 were not.

Leap day babies: How many are there and when do they celebrate?

Having a birthday on a leap day doesn’t stop the aging process.

It’s estimated around 5 million people share Feb. 29 as a birthday and the special moniker of “leaplings”.

Many of the people who were born during leap years celebrate their birthdays on either Feb. 28 or March 1.

Celebrities born on February 29

Aside from Grand Rapids’ own Lousma, many other celebrities are leaplings. Here is a list of some celebrities born on Feb. 29, according to famousbirthdays.com.

• Rapper Ja Rule
• Motivational speaker Tony Robbins
• Mark Foster, lead singer of Foster the People (“Pumped Up Kicks,” “Sit Next to Me”)
• Actor Peter Scanavino (“Law and Order: Special Victims Unit”)
• Actor Antonio Sabato Jr. (“Melrose Place,” “General Hospital”)
• Singer Dinah Shore
• Actor Dennis Farina (“Law and Order”)

Why is February 29 leap day?

Choosing February for the leap year dates back way before many modern-day countries were even formed. The addition of days harkens back to reforms made to the Roman calendar by Julius Caesar, according to History.com.

Caesar, inspired by the Egyptian solar calendar, made the adjustments to the Roman calendar which was based on a lunar system and had a year of 355 days. The adjustments brought forth the Julian calendar, a solar calendar, which included a leap year system. When the Julian calendar was later refined into the Gregorian calendar in 1582, the tradition of adding a leap day to February persisted.

Q: What is a leap year? A: A leap year is a year that contains an extra day, February 29th, to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical or seasonal year.

Q: How often does a leap year occur? A: Leap years occur every four years.

Q: Why do we have leap years? A: Leap years are necessary to keep our modern-day Gregorian calendar in alignment with the Earth’s revolutions around the Sun. The Earth’s orbit takes approximately 365.2425 days, so without the additional day every four years, the calendar would gradually get out of sync with the seasons.

Q: How do we determine if a year is a leap year? A: A year is a leap year if it is evenly divisible by 4. However, if a year is divisible by 100, it is not a leap year, unless it is also divisible by 400. This adjustment is made to maintain accuracy in the calendar system.

Q: What is the history of leap years? A: The concept of a leap year dates back to ancient times. The Egyptians were among the first to introduce a leap year in their calendar, roughly 4,000 years ago. The Gregorian calendar, which we use today, was established by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 and made adjustments to the leap year system to correct inaccuracies present in previous calendar systems.

Q: Are there any traditions or superstitions associated with leap years? A: There are various traditions and superstitions associated with leap years in different cultures. One common belief is that it is unlucky to get married or to embark on significant endeavors during a leap year, particularly on February 29th. However, these beliefs vary widely and are not universally held.

Q: What are some notable events or facts associated with leap years? A: – February 29th is often referred to as “Leap Day.”

• People born on February 29th are called “leaplings” or “leap year babies” and typically celebrate their birthdays on February 28th or March 1st in non-leap years.
• In some cultures, February 29th is considered an unusual or lucky day for various activities, including proposals of marriage.
• The Gregorian calendar repeats its cycle every 400 years, containing 97 leap years and 303 common years.
• Leap years have significant implications for various fields such as astronomy, mathematics, and even commerce, affecting calculations of interest rates, seasons, and celestial events.