Courtesy of Vince Reardon:
Leap year doesn’t mean much to most of us. It’s simply another day tacked onto February’s standard 28 days, once every four years.
But if you’re of an astronomical bent, leap year is serious business. “A leap year occurs every four years to help synchronize the calendar year with the solar year, or the length of time it takes the earth to complete its orbit about the sun, which is about 3651⁄4 days,” say Ann Marie Imbornoni and Mark Hughes in “Leap Year Explained,” found on the website Infoplease.
Blame it all on Roman Emperor Julius Caesar. In 46 B.C., on the advice of the astronomer Sosigenes, he added the first leap day.
But February 29th is really serious business if that’s your birthday. You’re not alone. There are about 200,000 Americans who have been born on leap year, although the chances are slim, about one in 1,500.
Frankly, a birthday on leap year doesn’t give you much to leap about. It’s an annoying day to have a birthday. For starters, you really only celebrate it once every four years. On the other three years you have to choose an alternative birthday, say, February 28 or March 1st.
Many “leapers” say friends and even some family members forget to wish them birthday greetings in the off years. To make up for celebratory delay and the forgetfulness of well-wishers, some “leapers” plan elaborate birthday parties or trips abroad.
If February 29th is your big day, then happy birthday! Sadly, you probably won’t hear that for another four years.
To view related posts, visit https://www.universitycitynews.org/category/university-city-news-ucca/
Notes: Join UCCA today at https://www.universitycitynews.org/join-ucca-today/
If you have a news item to share, please submit your story through UCCA’s Contact Us link at https://www.universitycitynews.org/contact-us-or-volunteer-in-uc/
Review article guidelines at https://www.universitycitynews.org/ucca-newsletter-archives/
What do Facebook, Twitter, Nextdoor, ImproveUC and UCCA have in common? They are all ways neighbors can connect with neighbors and the University City community. Create a post, start a conversation, share the news, organize an event, keep in touch, take a look:
- Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/universitycitycommunityassociation
- Twitter – https://twitter.com/UCCA_SD
- Nextdoor– https://nextdoor.com/sandiego/
- ImproveUC– http://improveuc.org/
- UCCA – https://www.universitycitynews.org/
