This year is Leap Year! Here are some fun facts about February 29th!

Did you know?

In case you haven’t heard, 2016 is Leap Year.  That means there are 366 days this year and February ends on the 29th instead of the 28th.  Leap Years are necessary to keep our calendar in alignment with the rotation of Earth around the Sun.  Without them, we would lose around six hours off our calendar every year.

Fact #1

It takes 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds for the Earth to revolve around the sun.  Those extra hours are the reason we have Leap Years.

Fact #2

Some astrologers believe that people born on Leap Day, February 29th, have special talents and personalities. 

Fact #3

This year, Rare Disease Day will be celebrated on Leap Day in 56 countries.  The purpose is to obtain funding for diseases that currently have no cure.

Fact #4

In Fifth Century Ireland, St. Patrick set February 29th as the day when women can ask for a man’s hand in marriage, so that women no longer had to wait on men.  Queen Margaret made a similar designation in 1288.  Per her rules, if the man refused the woman’s proposal, he was fined a kiss, a silk dress, or a pair of gloves.

Fact #5

Very few people born on Leap Day will have a Golden Birthday.  A Golden Birthday is when your age matches the date of the day you were born on your birthday.  They would be 116 years old before they turned 29 on February 29th.

Fact #6

There is just a .0006 percent chance of being born on Leap Year.  Some Leap Year babies claim to be 1/4th of their biological age. 

Leap Year can be a confusing concept for some people to grasp.  Whether you understand it or not, you still get an extra day this year.  Do you have any fun plans for February 29th?

For fun! 

We hope you liked these fun facts! 

Check out the rest of our new blog if you haven't already!