Janice R. Andrews
We have a unique event on our calendars today: February 29, 2024, the first day of a rare phenomenon called Leap Year. This extra day, which comes around once every four years, is vitally important for keeping our calendars in line with Earth’s orbit around the sun.a
Julius Caesar introduced the practice of adding a leap day to February, taking it from the solar calendar of the Egyptians. We have continued the practice ever since, making sure that our equinoxes and seasonal fluctuations hold true over time.
For those lucky people who were born on February 29, sometimes known as “leap day babies” or “leaplings,” today is very important. These people have one of the rarest birthdays imaginable because this date only happens once every 1,461 days.
Leap day babies celebrate their birthdays on February 28 or March 1 even though February 29 is a rare date, but their official records still list February 29 as their birthdate.
As we welcome this extra day in 2024, let’s consider its importance in preserving the balance between our calendars and the earth’s natural cycles. In the future, we predict that the next leap year will take place in 2028, carrying on this age-old custom of temporal adjustment.
Stay tuned as we explore how this interesting occurrence affects our perception of time and space by delving deeper into the physics and history of leap years.
