Leap year is an intriguing aspect of our lives. Accepted as a normal part of our calendar, the leap year as we know it happens once every four years. If you’ve ever wondered about its origin, history, or impact, read further to find out more as yet another one passes the 29^th of February.

Though usually the dates of the year shift by one day of the week from one year to another, on leap years the shift is by two days. This “leap” is where the leap year gets its name from. With a closer look, the ideology behind this effect has both a historical and scientific basis. It all started with Julius Caesar, the one who began this alteration of the calendar. Keeping in mind how early Romans used their calendar to identify the dates of festivals and holidays, Caesar decided to move days and add them to different months of the year in order to simplify the calendar already in place with the creation of the Julian calendar.

As a result, this astronomer made adjusted calculations, concluding that every fourth year a day would follow the 28^th of February in order to stay true to the scientific time it takes the Earth to orbit the Sun. Hundreds of years afterward, Pope Gregory XIII reviewed the Julian calendar, and further determined that every future leap day would need to occur on a year divisible by four. Additionally, he discovered that the existing calendar was actually slightly too long. After making changes to shorten the calendar, while still including the leap day, the calendar we know today was created.

Today, this practice of adding an extra day to February exists to ensure the effectiveness of our current calendar, this Gregorian one. Overall, the additional 24 hours built into the calendar allow for the date to be more closely in line with the Earth’s movement around the Sun. Because the 365-day calendar is still not exact– it’s a little shorter than the Earth’s annual orbit– it is resolved by the fact that every missed second of four years is accounted for with the one extra day that creates the phenomenon. The accuracy of the astronomical year has thus been reaffirmed throughout time with the extra day that makes a leap year a leap year.

The other aspect of the leap year centers on the controversy that has occurred in the superstitions of marriage that exist regarding it. Depending on the culture and when the superstition was created, the good luck or bad luck of the leap year can supposedly impact the success of a marriage or even when the best time to propose is. Often based on legend, it is difficult, as with any superstition, to evaluate the likelihood of a factual foundation.

To begin, on the negative side, in Greek culture, there is a belief that getting married during a leap year is an unwise decision, as it often will cause a marriage to end in divorce. In contrast, both in Finland and Scotland, women are encouraged to propose on the leap-day. It is said to bring good luck to marriage, ensuring that it will last longer. Finally, in Ireland, one of the most well-known superstitions exists. Like Finland and Scotland, women are advised to propose of the 29^th of February as well.

The legend of the Irish leap year focuses on St. Brigid of Kildare, an Irish nun. According to history, she asked St. Patrick to allow one day of the year for women to propose to their significant others. She urged him to support the idea because it allowed for women to take charge after some suitors remained too shy or reluctant to propose themselves. Originally, he granted women the permission to propose only once every seven years. However, after constant pushing from St. Brigid, he changed it to once every four years, on the day of the leap year. This is where the superstition originated and the tradition has remained ever since.

Whether it’s the superstitions of marriage that interest you or the facts about the leap year’s scientific history, remember to celebrate it this year as a significant aspect of how our world works in relation to the workings of space, the Earth, and the Sun.

Citations:

Bellis, Mary. “Leap Year Inventor, History and Origins.” About.com Inventors. About.com, n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.

Hallett, Stephanie. “Leap Year Proposal: What’s The Story Behind It?” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 29 Feb. 2012. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.

Richard, Jocelyn. “Leap Year 2012: The Science And History Behind Feb. 29 (VIDEO).” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 29 Feb. 2012. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.