Happy Leap Year! Is that what we’re suppose to say today? I’ve always had a general understanding of why we have leap years…but I thought I’d dig up some more facts…and here they are!
Every year January 1st and December 31st fall on the same day of the week unless it’s a Leap Year. In that case, the days fall on different days of the week.
- Leap Years are essential to keep our calendar in alignment with the Earth’s revolutions around the Sun. It takes the Earth a little longer than a year to travel around the Sun — 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds, to be exact. We would lose 6 hours from our calendar if we didn’t have a leap year.
- According to astrologers, those born under the sign of Pisces on February 29 have unusual talents and personalities reflecting their special status.
- Our calendar would be off by 24 days if we didn’t have a Leap Year for 100 years.
- There are about 187,000 people in the US and 4 million people in the world who were born on Leap Day.
- The chances of being born on a Leap Year are 1 in 1,461.
- People born on Leap Day are called “leaplings.”
- The most children born on a leap year by one family was the Henriksen family in Norway whose 3 children were born on three consecutive leap days in 1960, 1964 and 1968.
- Sadie Hawkins Day, the day when woman are encouraged to ask men out, is celebrated on February 29th.
- In 2012, 56 countries are recognizing “Rare Disease Day” on Leap Day in order to call attention to needed research for diseases that have no known cure.
- Facebook does not recognize Leap Day birthdays during non leap years.
- People born on February 29th are all invited to join The Honor Society of Leap Year Day Babies.
Leap Day Facts Sources: timeanddate.com, leapyearday.com, hisdates.com