Ready to leap?
Every four years, an extra day is added on the calendar for Leap Year. February 29th is added as a corrective measure to ensure the Gregorian calendar stays correct at 365 ¼ days during an average year. Leap Years add not only an additional day (to sleep and do more homework), but they also add an interesting history of fun facts.
Here are some Leap Year facts that you can share with your online student and friends.
- Years that aren't Leap Years are called Common Years.
- Leap Years add a day to February in years evenly divisible by four.
- The first calendar that had a Leap Year was introduced by King Ptolemy of Egypt in 238 B.C.
- Leap Years are 11 minutes longer than a vernal equinox year, making the vernal equinox move a day earlier about every 131 years.
- A person born on February 29 is called a leapling or leaper. A leapling only celebrates one quarter of birthdays than his true age. About 4 million people in the world have been born February 29.
- According to a 5th century Irish tradition, on February 29, roles can be reversed and a woman can be the one to propose to the man of her choice. In 1288, Queen Margaret of Scotland ordered any man proposed to and refused the offer to be fined a kiss, a silk dress, or a pair of gloves to the rejected woman.
- Leap Year got its name because February 29 will leap or skip days to the next day of the week, more than where it would usually fall. For example, Christmas moves one day in the week per year (from Sunday to Monday), but on Leap Year it skips to the second day of the week (from Sunday to Tuesday).
- Greeks are superstitious of marrying in a Leap Year. One in five Greek couples will avoid getting married in a Leap Year.
Leap Year doesn't have to be just about past traditions. Why not start some of your own Leap Year traditions in your family or school? They can be as fun or crazy as you want them to be. How about letting your online student decide what subjects to do for the day (or let him leap one)? Perhaps you could try experiments with frogs or going on a trip that leaps a geographic location. The ideas are endless, so use your imagination.
With an extra day on the calendar, think of how much more you could accomplish. Put the additional time to good use by thinking of something fun to do this Leap Year.
Do you do anything special to celebrate a Leap Year? Why or why not?
Fun facts were taken from "Facts about Leap Year."