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Explanation: In 46 BC Julius Caesar reformed the calendar system. Based on advice by astronomer Sosigenes of Alexandria, the Julian calendar included one leap day every four years to account for the fact that an Earth year is slightly more than 365 days long. In modern terms, the time it takes for the planet to orbit the Sun once is 365.24219 mean solar days. So if calendar years contained exactly 365 days they would drift from the Earth's year by about 1 day every 4 years and eventually July (named for Julius Caesar himself) would occur during the northern hemisphere...

The Irish can be a romantic bunch and every four years, there is a day for roles to reverse and for women to take charge of their romantic destiny. In Irish tradition, February 29, AKA Leap Day, is the day when women can propose to men. But why is the tradition so? Why do women propose on Leap Day, which is also known as Batchelor's Day or Ladies Privilege? Like many Irish traditions, this one has its origins in Irish folklore. Ladies who are planning to propose on Leap Day (February 29) have St Brigid to thank for the tradition.

Nearly every four years, we add an extra day to the calendar in the form of February 29, also known as Leap Day. Put simply, these additional 24 hours are built into the calendar to ensure that it stays in line with the Earth’s movement around the sun. While the modern calendar contains 365 days, the actual time it takes for Earth to orbit its star is slightly longer—roughly 365.2421 days. The difference might seem negligible, but over decades and centuries that missing quarter of a day per year can add up. To ensure consistency with the true astronomical year,...

The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you. If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located. This thread is a non-political respite. No matter what, you won’t be flamed, and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked. It is impossible to hijack...

This Sunset Park family is growing by leaps and bounds! Lindsay and Dane Demchak were all set to throw a birthday party Saturday for their son Omri, who was born Feb. 29, 2016, the last Leap Year. But that soiree was put on hold when the 31-year-old stay-at-home mom unexpectedly gave birth Saturday morning, four days early, to a 7-pound, 2-ounce baby girl at Coney Island Hospital in Brooklyn. “We’re the double Leap Year family!” a beaming Lindsay Demchak boasted from her hospital bed as she cradled a swaddled Scout on her right arm. “We don’t believe in superstition. We...

Here are some things you may not know about the leap year, from famous people born on leap day, to why it is added to February and not other months. 1. Not every fourth year is a leap year Only if the year is divisible by 400 will there be 366 days to make it a leap year. For example, 2100 is not a leap year while 2400 is. 2. There is a simple reason the 366th day is in February. Back in the 8th century BC, the calendar was only 10 months long. Eventually, the Romans added January and...

I don't want to be some sort of conspiracy nut, but I paid my rent on 2/29/10. To this day, my landlord has not deposited this check. I will owe another check and pay it today. I've mentioned it to him (three times now) and he says he has to ask "the boss" which is his wife. I can't figure it out; my landlord is an electrician who has not been on a paying gig since May of last year since construction here in S. Utah is nonexistent right now. Last week when I had to call him on a...

ammorris writes "Don't be the laughingstock of your friends when you shout 'Happy New Years' a second too early ... The International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service has announced that a leap second will be added on December 31, 2008 at 23h 59m 60s, meaning that this year will be exactly one second longer. The last leap second occurred Dec 31, 2005; they are added due to fluctuations in the rotational speed of the earth. You can read all about leap seconds on Wikipedia."

February 29th eh? Why do we have Leap Day? Observatory: Our solar year (the time required for Earth to travel once around the Sun) is 365.24219 days. Our calendar year is either 365 days in non leap years or 366 days in leap years (Feb 29th inserted). A leap year every 4 years gives us 365.25 days, sending our seasons off course and eventually in the wrong months. To change .25 days to .24219, we need to skip a few leap days (Feb 29ths) .... century marks not divisible by 400. So with a few calculations tweek the calendar by...

Leap Day makes for a unique birthdayToday is Leap Day, Feb. 29, 2004--a day that is significant because of its rarity. Leap Day only happens every four year and because it does not occur on our calendar that often, you can imagine how unusual it is for someone who was born on Leap Day.Some local individuals will be celebrating their birthdays today. Tori Rae Gonzalez will celebrate her first calendar-year birthday. She will celebrate four years of life with a Care Bear party. She is the daughter of James Gonzalez and Janine Fuqua of Sweet-water. James works at B-line Lube...

Attention ladies, take heart and give heed, it's your special year. Every fourth year or "leap year," as we call it, can be truly major for you in terms of courtship and romance. Why? According to a very ancient tradition, this is a year during which ladies have a right to propose to the man or men of their choice. Although, technically, this action can be done during any time of the leap year, St. Valentine's Day or February 29 were the two days considered the most appropriate. This custom, according to legend, was first instituted by a seemingly unlikely...