Consider those moments when the thought crosses your mind: “If only there were more time today.” Today, however, presents us with precisely that: “more time.” This year, we’re granted an extra day—a leap day—appearing on our calendars every four years.
Leap years, such as 2024, add an extra day to the month of February, the shortest month in a year, extending it 24 hours longer than its usual 28-day duration.
The concept of a leap year comes from the Gregorian calendar, made in the 1500s. The inclusion of a leap day every four years plays a crucial role in aligning the calendar months with the seasons, ensuring consistency. This adjustment helps maintain the synchrony between the calendar and the natural cycle of the Earth’s orbit around the sun.
While a calendar year is approximately 365 days long, it actually takes the Earth roughly 365.2422 days to complete its orbit around the sun. This small difference accumulates over time, necessitating the addition of a leap day every four years.
To qualify as a leap year, a year number must be divisible by four, with the exception of end-of-century years, which must also be divisible by 400. For instance, the year 2000 was a leap year, but 1900 was not. Following this pattern, 2028, 2032, and 2036 are some of the upcoming leap years.
Various cultures have unique customs and beliefs associated with leap years. In British and Irish tradition, for example, women are traditionally allowed to propose marriage to their partners during leap years. However, declining such a proposal is not without consequence; men who reject these proposals are expected to compensate the women with gifts, such as gloves to hide their ringless fingers, or even face fines.
In contrast, in Greece and some other countries, getting married during a leap year is considered bad luck and is believed to increase the likelihood of divorce.
Similarly, in Taiwan, there is a superstition that the elderly are more likely to pass away during a leap year. To counter this, married Taiwanese daughters return home on leap day to prepare a special dish called pig trotter noodles, made with pig’s feet, for their parents. This gesture is thought to bring good fortune and health to their families.
Leap years are not just a quirk of the calendar; they are the intersection of astronomy, tradition, and superstition. Influencing cultures worldwide for centuries, they give rise to a myriad of customs. People from all walks of life size this extra day to create and express their uniqueness.
