We have an extra day! How will you use it?

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/composer
 

Did 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! 🙂

13 thoughts on “We have an extra day! How will you use it?”

  1. Loved this post! I was thinking about the birthday issue this morning and how that might make a PB. My husband and I got married on October 30th too! 🙂

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    1. Oh! How cool that you were married on the same date as us! 🙂
      I think the Leap Day birthday situation is an excellent story idea. Get right on that before someone else snaps it up! 😉

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  2. I consider Feb 29 a free day and I always say I wish I had more time. This morning I facilitated a Self-employment workshop, I plan to study for my new job this afternoon, finish reading a novel as I go home on the bus, call my mother and write another chapter of my WIP this evening. I think that is good use of my time this ‘free’ day.

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    1. Yes, very good use of your free day. I, on the other hand, have been taking care of the usual things for Dad including baking five dozen cookies. I’m also grabbing time on here whenever I can, and I have to start reading a book to review.
      Thanks for stopping in for a visit, Darlene.

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  3. Great post! If I was born on Leap Day, I would be the youngest in my class (I’d be 2 and a something {1/2???} ). I was born on Christmas Eve and I think that’s pretty cool but leap years only happen once every 4 years!

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  4. One of my college pals was born today. We tease him and tell him he is officially still a preteen. 🙂

    I am so proud of you and all the writing it looks like you’ve been doing! YAY LYNN!

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    1. Now that is what I have been waiting to hear about, the teasing. Your friend should be proud of himself, so young and in college. 🙂

      Thanks for your kind words of encouragement, Donna. I may be writing more but so far nothing has come of it .. except the practice for me.

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        1. Omigosh, Darlene! Thank you for this sweet blessing! After I get some sleep I am going over there and check this out. If I look now I will not get any rest tonight. haha THANK YOU! 😀

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        1. Understood, what I was saying is that he was so young in college if you go by his Leap Day birth date. 🙂
          Ten and he gets to hang out with the “older kids”? .. how cool is that! 😉

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I look forward to reading your greatly appreciated comments. Thanks for making my day! :)

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