2024 is a leap year, meaning Thursday, Feb. 29 is a once-in-four-year event.
Since leap years typically happen every four years (although there are some exceptions), our last leap days were in 2020 and 2016, and the next leap year will happen in 2028.
And since this is a day that doesn’t come around often, people are celebrating in different ways, with businesses offering special deals in commemoration and others finally celebrating their Feb. 29 birthday.
Here is everything you need to know about leap day, including what it is, why it comes every four years, and when it was created.
Is 2024 a Leap Year?
Yes, 2024 is indeed a leap year. The primary criteria for a leap year is that the current year is divisible by 4, as per the Gregorian calendar rules. Furthermore, 2024 is not divisible by 100, and since it is also divisible by 400, it qualifies as a leap year. Consequently, February 29, 2024 will be a leap day.
When do we skip leap day?
To make up for decimal fractions of time, we sometimes skip leap years, but it’s rare. Prepare for a little bit of math: years that are divisible by 100 but not 400 are skipped, which means we skipped leap years in 1700, 1800, and 1900 but not 2000. The next leap year we will skip is in 2100, which is quite a distance away.
Who created leap day?
The concept of adding leap days is not new and has been around for millennia, according to Britannica. According to the History Channel, some calendars like the Hebrew, Chinese, and Buddhist calendars had leap months, which were also known as intercalary or interstitial months.
While Julius Caesar is often credited with originating leap days, he got the idea from the Egyptians. By the third-century BC, Egyptians followed a solar calendar that spanned 365 days and had a leap year every four years, according to National Geographic.
In ancient Rome, their calendar varied and included a 23-day intercalary month called ‘Mercedonius’. But it was not a standalone month. February was added to February to account for the difference between the Roman year and solar year, as per the History Channel.
Caesar drew inspiration from the Egyptians when creating the Julian calendar and decided to add an extra day to February every four years. The Julian calendar officially began on Jan. 1 in 45 BCE.
This method would continue over several centuries, but not without issue. Caesar’s math of 365.25 days was close, but it wasn’t the exact 365.242190 days that the solar year contains. To be precise, Caesar “overestimated the solar year by 11 minutes,” the History Channel reports. According to National Geographic, the Julian calendar will be one day short every 128 years due to this.
By the 16th century, time had shifted again and not in a good way. Major dates had changed, including Easter. The holiday is supposed to occur on the first Sunday following the first full moon, either after or before the spring equinox. At the time, Easter’s date had been shifted by approximately 10 days.
To fix this, Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian calendar, which kept a leap day every four years but eliminated it during centurial years not divisible by 400, according to the History Channel. This is why 1700, 1800 and 1900 were not leap years, but 2000 was.
Despite its accuracy, the Gregorian calendar is not flawless. Instead of being off by one day every 128 years like the Julian calendar, the Gregorian calendar falls short once every 3,030 years, according to the History Channel.
Leap Day Traditions and Superstitions
Various traditions and superstitions have been associated with leap days throughout history. One of the most famous leap day customs is the “leapling” or “leap day baby” phenomenon, where individuals born on February 29 face the challenge of celebrating their birthday only once every four years. This unique circumstance has led to a variety of leaping celebrations and gatherings, where these individuals can finally unite with their peers.
Another popular tradition is the “leap day proposal,” where women are said to be allowed to propose to men on February 29. This custom stems from the medieval Irish legend of Saint Brigid striking a deal with Saint Patrick, allowing women to reverse traditional gender roles and propose to their suitors on leap days.
What happens if you are born on leap day?
Feb. 29 is the rarest birthday someone could have. At least 5 million people still celebrate their birthday on leap day, as stated by the History Channel. Your odds of being born on Feb. 29 are one-in-1461.
Many “Leaplings” (or those born on leap day) will celebrate their birthdays on Feb. 28 or March 1 during a typical 365-day year, even though documents will reflect it is on Feb. 29.
Leap day deals: Where to score on food, products and more Feb. 29
Wendy’s, Chipotle, and Krispy Kreme, among others, are providing discounts and free meals to celebrate leap day.
Conclusion
a leap day, or February 29, is a crucial part of the Gregorian calendar that keeps our seasons in sync with their designated months. The year 2024 will indeed be a leap year, with February 29, 2024, serving as a leap day. Unique traditions, superstitions, and unexpected consequences have been associated with leap days throughout history. Understanding the significance of leap days and years is crucial for maintaining the accuracy and reliability of our calendar system.
