Poor Leap Day.
It comes only once every four years, and it's a real calendar event. So you'd think there would be more celebration of its arrival.
But it's greeted with ho-hum, with most people forgetting it even exists until they see Feb. 29 pop up on whatever digital version of a calendar they use these days.
In case you forget why:
Leap Day is an extra day added during a Leap Year. That extends the year to 366 days as an adjustment to the Gregorian Calendar, which is a slightly faulty attempt at a solar sync.
In other words, leap years correct the calendar to align with the Earth's revolutions around the sun.
The Earth really takes 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds to complete a circle the sun.
The Gregorian calendar has only 365 days in a year. That makes it much easier on everyone - rather than attempting to squeeze in a fraction of a day each year.
But that also means about 6 hours a year are not figured into the calendar. So, every four years, another day gets tacked on (6 x 4 = 24) to compensate.
If you're really into the minutiae, the Old Farmer's Almanac explains it in more detail:
"A year is a leap year if it is divisible by 4, but century years are not leap years unless they are divisible by 400. So, the years 1700, 1800, and 1900 were not leap years, but the year 2000 was. Non-leap years begin and end on the same day of the week."
Although Leap Day doesn't have the celebratory cache of say, Groundhog Day or St. Patrick's Day, it does have some folk tales associated with it - and Leap Year - according to the Old Farmer's Almanac and elsewhere.
-The weather changes on the Friday after Leap Day.
-In some cultures, it is considered bad luck to marry during a leap year.
-Women may propose marriage in a leap year.
But what if you're a 'leaper' - one who is born on Leap Day? Do you get to celebrate in non-leap years?
They get to choose: Feb. 28 or March 1.