Leap Year 2012

What is a Leap Year?

Leap day or otherwise known as leap year day, is an extra day which is added in the month of February in a leap year. February 29th adds up as the 60th day of a leap year in the “Gregorian” calendar. A leap year occurs in every four years, it occurs in years which can be evenly divided by four except for centenary years which are not divisible by 400.

Based on the Gregorian calender, a leap day is most likely to occur on Mondays or Wednesdays rather than other days since calender repeats itself every 400 years. Hence giving the possibility of February 29 to occur 15 times on a Monday or Wednesday, 14 times on a Friday or Saturday and 13 times on a Tuesday, Thursday or Sunday.

History behind a Leap Year

In ancient Rome, the leap day was marked on February 24 since February was the last month in their calendar. Addition were then made with extra months being added into the calender every few years to maintain the correct seasonal changes. The Julian calendar was formed in 45 BCE, which resulted in a leap day being added to the end of February every four years.

In 1582 Pope Gregory XIII helped improve the Julian calendar with a new rule. He made it particular that a century year is not a leap year unless it can be evenly divided by 400.

What are the Traditions or Superstitious beliefs followed by the Leap year?

There was a tradition which was introduced many centuries ago, it allowed women to propose to men during a leap year. Later this privilege of proposing was restricted to a leap day in some areas. Sometimes Leap day would also be considered as “Bachelors’ Day”. In accordance to the tradition, a man was expected to pay a penalty, such as money etc if he refused a marriage proposal which was offered from a woman.

Leap Years 1800 - 2400