Happy Leap Day!
Imagine that you were born on February 29. Now imagine having that day come around only once every four years.
Maybe you don’t have to imagine it at all, in which case … Happy Birthday!
How would you feel if you were a child whose actual birth date didn’t come every year? When would you have your birthday party .. February 28 or March 1? I read that in New Zealand if anyone is born on February 29, the legal date is to be recorded as February 28.
Would you consider yourself at age 20 to be officially only 5? A day is a day no matter what number is attached to it, so what would you do?
I thought you might like to know of a few famous people born February 29:
1692 – John Byrom, English poet 1792 – Gioacchino Rossini, Italian composer (William Tell, The Barber of Seville) 1904 – Jimmy Dorsey, American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, trumpeter, composer and big band leader 1916 – Dinah Shore, American singer 1924 – Al Rosen, American baseball player 1936 – Henri Richard, Canadian ice hockey player 1956 – Randy Jackson, American musician, record producer, television personality 1960 – Anthony (Tony) Robbins, American motivational speaker 1964 – Lyndon Byers, Canadian hockey player 1972 – Antonio Sabàto Jr, Italian-born actor 1976 – Ja Rule, American rapper and actor 1980 – Chris Conley, American musician and songwriter/composerDid you know that for flights on February 29 some airlines give a greatly reduced rate to people who were born on a leap day? That may be worth looking into for the next one.
Just for interest’s sake, here are a few of the past and upcoming leap years:
1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 2028 2032 2036 2040 2044 2048 2052 2056 2060 2064 2068 2072 2076 2080 2084 2088 2092
Did you know that it is tradition in some countries for a woman to propose marriage to her man on Leap Day? And only then is it permitted. 
My husband and I were married on a leap year (which is considered to be “bad luck” in some folklore – so it’s good we are not superstitious), although not on leap day – which apparently is even worse. We actually were married on Hallowe’en because, for a time, Nova Scotia did not allow it to be celebrated on a Sunday, so Hallowe’en was on October 30, a Saturday. Just another curious quirk.
If you want to know more about Leap Year and how it all began you can look here and here. It’s very interesting.
We have been given an extra day this year, how to you plan to use it? Do you have special plans for that extra 24 hours?
Do you know of any ‘specials’ offered to Leapers?
Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂
Polilla Writes 