People born on February 29 celebrate their birthday either on February 28 or March 1.
- Leap day is considered unlucky in some cultures. In Scotland, it’s said that being born on a leap day will lead to a life of bad luck.
- The Greeks deem a leap year an unlucky time to get married, as the union is doomed to end in divorce.
Since February 29 only comes around every four years, many people born on this day celebrate the occasion to the fullest.
The next leap years will be in 2028, 2032, and 2036 which gives people born on this day reason to emphasise celebrations.
February 29 is the rarest day one could be born as there are about 5 million people who celebrate their birthday on leap day, according to the History Channel.
The odds of one being born on Feb 29 are 1 person in 1,461.
But how does a leap day come about? Leap day is an extra day that gets added to the calendar.
During a leap year, which occurs every four years, leap day falls on February 29, giving the shortest month of the year one added day.
The amount of days it takes for the Earth to complete a full revolution around the Sun is not a whole number.
The 365 days we experience is 365.242190 days, according to the National Air and Space Museum.
Approximately every four years, we make up that extra time with a “leap day.”
If we didn’t add this additional day into our calendars, the seasons would start to shift over time, leading to complications with farming, school schedules, and more.
People born on February 29 celebrate their birthday either on February 28 or March 1.
Some leapers prefer February, while others argue that they can’t celebrate one day before they are born and hence they choose March.
Anthony, in Texas in the US is the self-proclaimed “Leap Year Capital of the World.”
The town hosts a Quadrennial Leap Year Festival, which was started by resident Mary Ann Brown. People come from all around to enjoy live music, attractions for kids, food and crafts.
Leap day is considered unlucky in some cultures. In Scotland, it’s said that being born on a leap day will lead to a life of bad luck.
The Greeks deem a leap year an unlucky time to get married, as the union is doomed to end in divorce.
Not every culture shares these superstitions though. Indeed, many people think February 29 brings good fortune.
While Julius Caesar is often credited for originating leap days, he got the idea from the Egyptians. By the third century BCE, Egyptians followed a solar calendar that spanned 365 days with a leap year every four years, according to National Geographic.
Credit: The Star.