Everything you need to know about February 29, from cosmic alignments to proposals

Happy birthday to those born on February 29 — happy 21st birthday to all those Leap Day senior citizens!

In Ireland, February 29 becomes an opportunity for women to propose to their partners, challenging traditional gender roles. 

February 29, the rare and elusive Leap Day, has once again graced our calendars, appearing only once every four years, and sometimes carrying with it a sense of the auspicious.

But what is the significance of Leap Day? 

The complexity arises from the fact that the time it takes for the Earth to orbit the sun doesn't neatly align with an even number of days. The solar year spans 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds. 

A leap year steps in to remedy this celestial misalignment by adding an extra day to the Gregorian calendar, making that year 366 days, not the usual 365. This additional day is tagged onto the end of the month of February, creating a 29th day in the month. 

The necessity for a leap year stems from the fact that astronomical events and seasons don't unfold in a whole number of days. Calendars with a constant number of days in each year would inevitably drift over time, misaligning with the events they aim to track, such as the changing seasons.

So what would happen if we didn’t practice Leap Years?

By 2028, our calendar would have shifted by just one day. Fast forward to 2053, and we would find ourselves seven days adrift. By the year 2777, our calendar would undergo a complete flip, shifting by a staggering 182 days and transforming our summer into winter in the Northern Hemisphere. 'If there were no leap years, the seasons would completely swap every 750 years meaning the middle of the summer would become the middle of winter — calendar climate change' astronomy expert Dr Stephen Hughes of Queensland University Technology explains on Scientist.com. 

The historical journey of calendar adjustments adds a layer of complexity; In 500 BC, the Roman republican calendar, with its 12 lunar months totalling 355 days, fell approximately 10 days short of a solar year. 

Cosmic alignments

To maintain harmony with the seasons, the Romans introduced an extra 27- or 28-day month called Mercedonius every few years.

"Without leap years, Earth would experience 'calendar climate change'

However, due to political posturing, this system caused widespread confusion.

In 46 BC, Julius Caesar proposed a new solution: the Julian calendar. This 12-month calendar consisted of 365 days, with an additional day added every fourth year, bringing the average length of the Julian year closer to a solar year's duration.

Unfortunately, the Julian calendar was still out by 11 minutes and 14 seconds.

By the late 16th century, the calendar was off by about 10 days, leading to Easter-date chaos for the Catholic Church. 

Pope Gregory XIII intervened in 1582, eliminating the surplus 10 days and introducing the Gregorian calendar. This modern calendar, essentially an enhancement of the Julian calendar, introduced a new rule: all years divisible by four are leap years, except for century years, which must be divisible by 400 to qualify as leap years.

Despite its cosmic precision, Leap Day is not just a celestial event; it is a global spectacle marked by various cultural beliefs. 

In Ireland, it becomes an opportunity for women to propose to their partners, challenging traditional gender roles. 

This tradition dates back to the 5th century. 

The story goes that Saint Brigid of Kildare thought that many women had to wait too long for a proposal. She agreed with Saint Patrick that women could propose every four years, known as Ladies' Privilege.

This Ladies' Privilege was later adopted in Scotland and codified into law by Queen Margaret in 1288. 

An interesting detail dictated there was that proposing women wear a red petticoat. Refusal required compensation, either in the form of a monetary fine or, as in Ireland, the gift of a silk dress or gloves.

Leapin' ladies

Recent research from Guides For Brides reveals that one in four women have already proposed or are keen on proposing to their partners. More than a quarter of these women (26%) said they would do it or wait for a leap year. 

Motivations include the desire to surprise their partners (40%), challenging the notion that only men can propose (39%), finding empowerment in the act (17%), and impatience with waiting for their partner to take the traditional initiative (14%).

However, the leap year isn't all about love and happily-ever-afters. 

In Greece, couples marrying during a leap year are believed to be more prone to divorce.

Additionally, those who experience divorce in a leap year are said not to find happiness for the remainder of their lives.

Cultural nuances extend to other corners of the globe. 

In parts of China, Leap Days are considered bad luck for the elderly. And in Taiwan, on the 29th or the entire month, married daughters return home to cook pig trotters for their parents. 

This culinary tradition is believed to bring good fortune and a long life.

If they say so...