Hello All, February 29th happens just once every four years.  While we all wonder whether people born on February 29th are only allowed to have a birthday every 4 years or if they get 4 years older on the 29th, does anyone actually know why we add an extra day every 4 years?

Turns out the seasonal and astronomical years do not exactly match up with our calendar years.  By occasionally adding an additional day into the year the difference can be corrected.  If this difference was not corrected, than in time the seasons would not match up with their perspective calendar dates.

Some of the most popular folk lore is that women may propose marriage to a man only on a leap year; in some places the date of the proposal was limited to only the 29th as opposed to the entire year.

If rejected there is a bright side for the women in Denmark the tradition is that the refusal for marriage must be compensated with 12 pairs of gloves, in Finland the man should buy the woman fabric for a skirt.  In England the compensation can range from a kiss to a silk gown, the idea behind it is to soften the blow.

One last tid-bit of information, people born on February 29th may be called a “leapling” or a “leaper”.  Other major events held only on leap years are the Summer Olympic Games, and the United States Presidential Elections.