Happy National Leap Day! For a day that is celebrated only once every four years (with some mathematical exceptions we’ll go over later), February 29th sure seems to have a lot going on around it.
Leap year has devious explorers, beloved saints, partying border towns and proposal popping Irish ladies. And let’s not forget all the birthdays babies. They do have some making up to do on the celebrating, you know!
Since the beginning of time, man has been improving the way we keep it. That applies to calendars as well. Early Egyptians had a leap year in their calendar. The early Roman calendar had entire leap month from time to time to keep the days in line with the astronomical year.
It was Roman statesman and military general Julius Caesar and Egyptian-born Greek astronomer Sosigenes of Alexandria who revamped the Roman calendar by giving it twelve months with equally (almost) distributed days and adding a leap day every four years.
In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII adjusted the calendar once again. Because the Earth revolves around the sun once every 365.2421 days, one leap day every four years is just slightly too much.
Instead of shortening the leap day, the Gregorian calendar is designed such that leap days only happen every four years except years evenly divisible by one hundred but not by four hundred.
Because of this, there was not a leap day in 1900 and there will not be one in 2100. So a baby born on February 29, 2096 will be in the third grade on his first birthday!
And even this adjustment doesn’t keep the days perfectly aligned with the seasons. Those humans who are still around in ten thousand years will have to address those issues! However, it’s truly not a leap day concern.
HISTORY
LEAP DAY TRADITIONS
A tradition that has its origins in 5th century Ireland allows women to propose marriage to a man on leap day. According to lore, one of Ireland's patron saints Saint Brigid of Kildare (or Brigid of Ireland) complained on behalf of young maids that their men were too shy to propose.
To appease her, Romano-British Christian missionary and bishop Saint Patrick declared that on February 29th would be a day when women could propose.
The Scot’s took this tradition a step further. In 1288, Queen Margaret is rumored to have made it law that women could propose on February 29, but had to wear red petticoats to alert their men to their romantic intentions. There was a fine charged to the men who refused the proposal as well.
However interesting and strongly held the traditions may be, there is no documentation supporting the decree by Saint Patrick, and there is no law on the books in Scotland.
Despite the lack of proof, the tradition has continued. Men in upper class European society who dared to refused a proposal was obligated to protect the lady’s honor by giving her a gift; gloves to cover her un-ringed hand.
A reflection of this custom today, in some countries February 29th is known as Bachelor Day.
HISTORICAL EVENTS
A lunar eclipse on leap day 1504 had Italian explorer and colonizer Christopher Columbus the perfect foil to trick the natives into continuing to provide supplies to his stranded expedition.
Aware of the upcoming lunar eclipse, Columbus told the chief that his god was angry and would take away the moon as punishment and proof of his anger.
Aware of the upcoming lunar eclipse, Columbus told the chief that his god was angry and would take away the moon as punishment and proof of his anger.
African-American actress of stage and screen, professional singer-songwriter, and comedian Hattie McDaniel, known for her role as Mammy in the 1939 American Technicolor epic historical drama/history romance film 'Gone with the Wind', was awarded the first Oscar for an African-American on leap day 1940. This occurred at the 12th Academy Awards.
Late on the evening of leap day 1960, the city of Agadir in Morocco the earth shook for fifteen seconds. A small city of 2,500 was abruptly woken. The quake was considered a moderate one, but it devastated the city killing two-thirds of its residents.
Catholics honor St. Oswald, King of Northumbria, of whom was a beloved saint. It was on this day that he passed in the year 672 A.D. This was after kissing the feet of the twelfth man and giving a blessing. St. Oswald's feast day is celebrated on February 28th every year.
HOW TO OBSERVE
LEAP YEAR CAPITAL
Consider visiting the Leap Year Capital. Anthony, a city divided by the New Mexico – Texas border, has laid claim to the title Leap Year Capital of the World.
In 1988, leap year baby and local resident Mary Ann Brown, along with her neighbor Birdie Lewis, thought that her town of Anthony could benefit from a festival celebrating the birthdays of leap year babies and put the idea to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
And thus, the Leap Year Festival was born and the festival has grown every leap year since. In 2020, Anthony will celebrate their eleventh festival.
LEAP DAY MOVEMENTS
In both the United States and Canada, there have been proposals to make Leap Day national days that would encourage people to take the extra day to do some good in the world.
Whatever you do, be sure to make the most of your extra day. It only comes around every four years or so!
Use #NationalLeapDay to post on social media.
NOTABLE LEAP YEAR BIRTHDAYS
Gioachino Rossini – Italian composer – 1792
Herman Hollerith – Statistician, inventor – 1860
William A. Wellman – Film director and actor – 1896
John Leonard Roosevelt “Pepper” Martin – Baseball player 1904
Jimmy Dorsey – Saxophonist, composer and bandleader – 1904
Stanley Swash – CEO of Woolworths – 1908
Dinah Shore – Actress – 1916
Al Leonard "Flip" Rosen – Baseball player – 1924
William Hathaway – U.S. Senator – 1924
Jack Lousma – Astronautical engineer – Skylab 3, Space shuttle Columbia – 1936
Billy Turner – Horse Trainer – Triple Crown winner – 1940
Dennis Farina – Actor – 1944
Phyllis Frelich – deaf American actress – Member of National Theatre of the Deaf – 1944
Aileen Wuornos – Serial killer and prostitute – 1956
Tony Robbins – Author – 1960
Olav Henriksen, Leif-Martin Henriksen, and sister Heidi Henriksen – siblings all born on February 29 in different years. No they are not triplets. 1960, 1964, 1968
Cary Lee Conklin – former NFL quarterback – 1968
Bryce Paup – former NFL outside linebacker – 1968
Clarence "Chucky" Brown – former NBA basketball player – 1968
Fabien Bownes – NFL wide receiver – 1972
Saul Williams – poet, actor, writer, musician – 1972
Simon Gagne – Hockey Player – 1980
How do you celebrate National Leap Day?
#NationalLeapDay
@GoogleDoodlea
@nichecinema
No comments:
Post a Comment