If it weren't for Leap Days, eventually we would celebrate Christmas in July.
It takes the Earth 365 and a quarter days to orbit around the sun, Assistant Professor of Geography Elizabeth Vaughan said. After four years we have accumulated an extra day. She said we use the month of February to add that day back to keep the seasons and calendar in sync.
For "leaplings," those born on a Leap Day, the extra day every four years has a more personal meaning.
Matt Houston, a sophomore telecommunications major, was born on Feb. 29, 1988. Although he is legally 20 years old today, Houston said he's sure he will get cards congratulating him on his fifth birthday.
Despite having a true birthday only every four years, Houston said it has never been a problem for him.
However, his driver's license states he was under 18 until Feb. 29, 2006 and he will be under 21 until Feb. 29, 2009, although neither date exists.
"Obviously, the computer doesn't take into account for that," he said of the errors regarding his birthdate.
On non-leap years, Houston said he celebrates his birthday on the nearest Friday.
"My parents would always get into a debate on when I would get my presents," he said.
ReasonThe intention of the Gregorian calendar, which we use today, is for a year to be the same length as the time it takes for the Earth to revolve around the sun. However, it takes 365.2422 days for the Earth to make the trip. If the calendar year always had 365 days, after 100 years the calendar would shift 24 days. A spring equinox in the northern hemisphere would be on April 13 instead of March 20. Leap years prevent this shift.
HistoryJulius Caesar introduced the Julian calendar in 46 B.C. It added a Leap Day every four years, causing the average year to be 365.25 days. From his time until the 16th century, the beginning of spring shifted from March 23 to March 11. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII instituted the calendar we use today, in which spring starts on March 21. He also created a new system of leap days.
CriteriaUsing the Gregorian calendar, the average year is 365.2425 days. This makes the calendar year half a minute longer than the solar year. It will take 3,300 years for the Gregorian calendar to be one day out of step with the seasons. For a leap year to take place, it must fit the following criteria:
- divisible by four
- not divisible by 100, unless it is also divisible by 400
LeaplingsFamous people born on Feb. 29
- Pope Paul III, 1468
- Dennis Farina, actor-1944
- Antonio Sabato Jr., actor-1972
- Ja Rule, rapper-1976
- Cam Ward, NHL goalie-1984
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