Why the year was called a leap year and why an extra day is needed every four years. Leap years: list. History of occurrence and superstition

2016 is a leap year. This is not such a rare occurrence, because every 4 years in February there is a 29th day. There are many superstitions associated with this year, but is it really so dangerous? Let's try to figure it out if leap years are different. The 21st century list for leap years follows the same principle as before.

Leap year definition

We all know that there are 365 days in a year, but sometimes there are 366. What does it depend on? First of all, it should be noted that we live according to the Gregorian calendar, in which ordinary years are those that contain 365 days, and leap years are those that are one day more, respectively, 366 days. This is because periodically in February there are not 28, but 29 days. This happens once every four years, and this very year is usually called a leap year.

How to determine a leap year

Those years, the numbers of which can be divided without a remainder by the number 4, are classified as those that are called leap years. A list of them can be found in this article. Let's say the current year is 2016, if we divide it by 4, then we get a number without a remainder as a result of division. Accordingly, it is a leap year. In a normal year, there are 52 weeks and 1 day. Each subsequent year is shifted by one day in relation to the days of the week. After a leap year, the shift occurs immediately by 2 days.

It is counted from the first day of the spring equinox to the beginning of the next. This period, just, does not have exactly 365 days, which are indicated in the calendar, but somewhat more.

Exception

The exception is the zero years of centuries, that is, those at the end of which there are two zeros. But if such a year number can be divided without a remainder by 400, then it is also considered a leap year.

If we take into account that there are not exactly six hours extra in a year, then the missing minutes also affect the calculation of time. It was calculated that for this reason, in 128 years, one extra day will run in this way. In this regard, it was decided that not every fourth year be considered a leap year, but to exclude from this rule those years that are a multiple of 100, except for those that are divisible by 400.

The history of the leap year

To be more precise, according to the Egyptian solar calendar introduced by Julius Caesar, there are not exactly 365 days in a year, but 365.25, that is, plus another quarter of a day. The extra quarter of the day in this case is 5 hours 48 minutes and 45 seconds, which are rounded up to 6 hours, which is the fourth part of the day. But adding such a small unit of time every year is not practical.

In four years, a quarter of the day turns into a full day, which are added to the year. Thus, February, which less days, than ordinary months, adds an extra day - and only in a leap year is February 29th.

Leap years: a list of years of the past and the 21st century. Example:

It was decided to adjust the calendar year in accordance with the astronomical one - this was done so that the seasons always come on the same day. Otherwise, the boundaries would shift over time.

From the Julian calendar, we switched to the Gregorian, which differs from the previous one in that a leap year occurs once every four years, and according to the Julian - once every three years. Russian Orthodox Church and still lives according to the old style. It is 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar. Hence the celebration of dates in the old and new style. So, Catholics celebrate Christmas according to the old style - December 25, and in Russia according to the Gregorian calendar - January 7.

Where did the fear of a leap year come from?

The word "leap year" comes from the Latin phrase "bis sextus", which translates as "the second sixth".

Most people associate a leap year with something bad. All these superstitions have gone back to ancient Rome. AT modern world days are counted from the beginning of the month, but in ancient times it was different. They counted the days that remained until the beginning of the next month. Suppose, if we say February 24, then the ancient Romans in this case used the expression "the sixth day before the beginning of March."

When there was a leap year, an extra day appeared between the numbers of February 24 and 25. That is, in a normal year, there were 5 days left until March 1, and already 6 in a leap year, which is why the expression “second sixth” went.

With the advent of March, the fast ended, which lasted five days, if you start from February 24, but when you add an extra day, the fast already lasted, respectively, 1 day longer. Therefore, they considered such a year to be bad - hence the superstition about the unluckyness of leap years.

In addition, superstition came from the fact that only in a leap year is Kasyanov's Day celebrated, which falls on February 29th. This holiday is considered mystical. In connection with this long time ago people try not to do big things in such years, not to get married, not to have children, and so on. Despite the simplicity of the algorithm for determining a leap year, some may wonder: "What years are leap years?".

Leap years of the 19th century: a list

1804, 1808, 1812, 1816, 1820, 1824, 1828, 1832, 1836, 1840, 1844, 1848, 1852, 1856, 1860, 1864, 1868, 1872, 1876, 1880, 1884, 1888, 1892, 1896.

Leap years of the 20th century: their list is as follows:

1904, 1908, 1912, 1916, 1920, 1924, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1940, 1944, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996

What are leap years? The list of years of the current century will be constructed similarly to the previous ones. Let's get to know him. Leap years (list) of the 21st century will be calculated in the same way. That is, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, etc.

Signs associated with a leap year

This year, it is believed, it is impossible to change the familiar environment. This can be understood as moving to a new place of residence, looking for a new job.

It was believed that marriages entered into this year could not bring happiness, and it was not recommended to hold weddings.

It is also impossible to do anything, start new business. This includes starting a business, building a house.

Let's answer the question of what years are leap years? List of 19th, 20th and 21st centuries:

It is better to postpone long trips and travel.

You can't celebrate a child's first tooth.

From ancient times, such years were considered dangerous, bringing many deaths, diseases, wars and crop failures. People, especially superstitious ones, fear the approach of such a year, having already prepared in advance for the worst. But are they really that dangerous?

Opinion on established superstition

The Church does not see anything wrong with these years, explaining such a phenomenon as a leap year, just by changes in the calendar that were once made. Based on statistics, such years are no different from ordinary ones. Even if we take the question of marriage in a leap year, which prophesies a short life in marriage, then the number of divorces of "leap marriages" is nothing more than among those couples who got married in ordinary years.

sharky:
03/25/2013 at 16:04

and why is 1900 not a leap year? A leap year occurs every 4 years, i.e. Divisible by 4, it's a leap year. And no more divisions by 100 or 400.

Asking questions is normal, but before you say something, study the materiel. The earth revolves around the sun in 365 days 5 hours 48 minutes 46 seconds. As you can see, the rest is not exactly 6 hours, but 11 minutes 14 seconds less. This means that by making a leap year we add extra time. Somewhere in 128 years, extra days accumulate. Therefore, every 128 years in one of the 4-year cycles, a leap year is not necessary to get rid of these extra days. But to simplify, a leap year is not made every 100th year. Is the idea clear? Good. But how then to proceed, because an extra day is added every 128 years, and we cut it every 100 years? Yes, we cut off more than it should be, and this must be returned sometime.

If the first paragraph is clear and still interesting, then read on, but it will be more difficult.

So, in 100 years, 100/128=25/32 days of excess time accumulate (this is 18 hours 45 minutes). We do not make a leap year, that is, we subtract one day: we get 25/32-32/32 = -7/32 days (this is 5 hours and 15 minutes), that is, we subtract the excess. After four cycles of 100 years each (after 400 years) we will subtract an extra 4*(-7/32)=-28/32 days (this is minus 21 hours). On the 400th year, we make a leap year, that is, we add a day (24 hours): -28/32+32/32=4/32=1/8 (this is 3 hours).
We make every 4 years a leap year, but at the same time every 100 years is not a leap year and at the same time every 400 years is a leap year, but still every 400 years an extra 3 hours are added. After 8 cycles of 400 years, that is, after 3200 years, an extra 24 hours will accumulate, that is, one day. Then one more obligatory condition is added: every 3200th year should not be a leap year. 3200 years can be rounded up to 4000, but then again you have to play with added or truncated days.
3200 years have not passed, so this condition, if it is made so, is not yet spoken of. But 400 years have already passed since the approval of the Gregorian calendar.
Years divisible by 400 are always leap years (for now), other years divisible by 100 are not leap years, other years divisible by 4 are leap years.

My calculation shows that in the current state, an error of one day accumulates over 3200 years, but this is what Wikipedia writes about this:
“An error of one day compared to the year of the equinoxes in the Gregorian calendar will accumulate in about 10,000 years (in the Julian - in about 128 years). A frequently encountered estimate, leading to a value of the order of 3000 years, is obtained if we do not take into account that the number of days in a tropical year changes with time and, in addition, the ratio between the lengths of the seasons changes. From the same Wikipedia, the formula for the length of the year in days with fractions paints a good picture:

365,2425=365+0,25-0,01+0,0025=265+1/4-1/100+1/400

The year 1900 was not a leap year, but 2000 was, and special, because such a leap year happens once every 400 years.

One of my first more or less serious computer programs, still in Pascal, there was a problem - to check if the year is a leap year. It seems to be so simple - but it turned out that there are a lot of all sorts of conditions for checking! I had to read a lot to understand what is a leap year code and how to find out if a year is a leap year.

What year is considered a leap year

A leap year is one where every four years another winter day is added - February 29th.

Everyone usually thinks that in a day 24 hours. Such days per year- the time of a complete circle of the Earth relative to the Sun - runs 365 whole plus small ponytail - approx. 6 hours. For four years, a whole day is collected from such remnants, which is “glued” to February.

The problem is that adding a whole day every 4 years This is also a slight rounding off. And over time it leads to small error.

To get rid of it, they introduced another amendment, after which final algorithm looks like that:

Checked whether the digit of the year is divisible by four without a remainder.
If yes, and year ends with two zeros(2100 for example, or 2700) - it won't be a leap year.
But if it's divisible by 4, ends in two zeros, and is evenly divisible by 400, it's still a leap year(like, say, 2000 or 2800).

At first, the brain boils from such complexities. But in reality, everything is not so difficult.

February 29 and social networks

What do they do social networks with notifications of birthday friends? Are people who are not lucky enough to celebrate the holiday once every four years, sit themselves, forgotten by all friends and acquaintances? Indeed, nowadays it is no longer customary to write down dates in notebooks - everyone uses reminders on their phones or tips from sites.

If I were in the place of the birthday man, I would be a little upset by this turn of events. In the end, even I, being a schoolgirl, was able to solve such a problem. And even more so professional programmers should be able to approach the task carefully and thoroughly, especially when it comes to someone's holiday.

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This is a year that is one day longer than usual. In countries that live by the Julian calendar, this is one in four; living Gregorian - every fourth, additionally a multiple of a hundred. In 1924, the New Julian calendar was developed, where everything is even more complicated - a year is considered a leap year if it is divisible by four and not divisible by one hundred, or divisible by nine hundred with a remainder of two hundred or six hundred.

And back in 1990, a rock band appeared in Fryazino, which took the name "Leap Year".

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I must have been 8 or 9 years old when I learned about the existence of leap years. Then it immediately became interesting why a year usually contains 365 days, but sometimes a day more. At the same time, I did not limit myself to asking my parents, but took an encyclopedia from the shelf, where I found detailed information.

What are leap years

Probably, all people know that 1 year contains 365 days, but in a leap year there are 366 of them. But not everyone knows that the Earth does not complete a full revolution around the Sun in such a time.

The approximate time that our planet needs to complete a full revolution around its star is 365 days and 6 hours. This is natural, because nature did not adapt to the cultural characteristics of people.

6 hours is, in turn, 1/4 of a day. And for 4 years exactly 1 day accumulates, which it was once decided to add to February.

Interestingly, the concept of a leap year was introduced into the Julian calendar, which was adopted by Julius Caesar. And the Roman emperor himself survived only 1 leap year.

Changing the calendar

In fact, the error is somewhat larger. One real year is equal to 365 days, 5 hours and 49 minutes. The error seems insignificant, but in fact it is important. That is why at the end of the 16th century a new calendar was adopted - the Gregorian - we live according to it.

The mistake in the old calendar was that it didn't take those 11 minutes into account. Therefore, the day of the equinox for several centuries shifted 10 days ago in relation to March 21.

A reform has been carried out. According to it, if the year is divided into:

400 - he was recognized as a leap year;
4 - also a leap year;
100, but not by 400 - non-leap (in Julian - yes).

As a result of this reform, the calendar year began to more fully correspond to the solar year.

But it should be understood that the Earth makes a complete revolution around the Sun not exactly in 365 days, 5 hours and 49 minutes. There are also seconds, and fractions of a second, during which this happens. Therefore, although not soon, the existing calendar will still have to be reviewed and adjusted.

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I was born in February. Of course, this month is the most unusual among all the others. First of all, by the number of days. There are only 28 of them, instead of the usual 30 and 31. But on the other hand, it is mobile. Sometimes extra days are attributed to him. Why is this happening? This question has worried me since childhood, so I know perfectly well what a leap year is and where it came from.

Why is February getting longer?

Leap year, to put it simply, is when February is equal to 29 days. But why?

In ancient Rome, the priests calculated that the year is 365 days. The calculation was carried out on the days of the equinox, when the light and dark times of the day are equal. But then people realized that something had gone wrong. Every four years, this date was shifted forward by one day.

Easily counting, they determined that the year is equal to 365 integers and one more quarter of a day. Although they did not yet know about the rotation of the Earth, this is due precisely to the fact that the planet makes one revolution around the Sun a little faster than in a calendar year.

Then Julius Caesar ordered to add an extra day every four years, compensating for the difference. And so a year was born, equal to 366 days.

Differences between the Julian and Gregorian calendars

As far as I understand, the ancient scientists were mistaken. The true duration of a revolution around the Sun is 365 days, 5 hours and 49 minutes. Which is 11 minutes shorter than what the Romans once calculated. Because of this, by the 16th century, the equinox had shifted by 10 days.

Then Pope Gregory XIII introduced a new, Gregorian, calendar, according to which every four centuries a leap year became ordinary, which made it possible to remove differences. According to this calendar, there are no leap years next years:

1600;
2000;
2400.

All of Europe quickly changed the calendar, which Russia did not. Because of this, by the way, such a difference in dates appeared in pre-revolutionary times, which was compensated by the transition to the Gregorian calendar at the beginning of the 20th century.

Thus, a leap year is associated not just with an extra date on the calendar. The reason for it are complex astronomical processes!

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Somehow to us kindergarten came new girl Nelya, and we instantly became friends. She also said that she was born on February 29th. Therefore, the day before, I diligently glued a postcard from colored paper for her all evening. And in the morning my mother congratulated me on the first day of spring. In response, she heard an uncontrollable roar, as I thought that I overslept my best friend's birthday.

What is the difference between a leap year

That's how I learned that our earth revolves around the sun in 365 days with a little tail of just over 6 hours. Even in 10 years, this will not be particularly noticeable ... But sooner or later this may lead to the fact that New Year we will meet in the summer. That is why, at the end of the last era, they decided to introduce one additional day in February so that the calendar would remain “in its place”.

365 days of Egypt

But in Ancient Egypt knew about it, but did not want to change anything. Because the last 5 days of the year were dedicated to the 5 main gods. And the shift of the calendar led to the fact that the "divine" days began to "wander". Thus, the gods had an extra "personal" day. Therefore, it was forbidden by law to change the countdown of days.

What You Didn't Know About Leap Years

Here are a few little known facts about leap year:

the ruler of Egypt, Euergetes Ptolemy, long before Caesar introduced a leap year, but the priests canceled this decision after his death;
in France, for just a hundred euros, you can get a hundred-year subscription to a humorous publication that comes out only on February 29;
Saint Patrick is not only the patron saint of Ireland, but also the one who allowed women on February 29 to propose marriage themselves;
There is a whole movement that proposes to move February 29 to June 31, making it a world holiday.

It is customary to tell all sorts of terrible signs about leap years. But marriages made in other years also break up. Yes, and terrible disasters and wars also occur regardless of the number of days in a year. And all sorts of "mystical" coincidences can be found on any date, there would be a desire.

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I remember when I first found out that there is some kind of leap year, I constantly asked my mother when it would come. And it was useless to tell me that he comes once every four years. Either she couldn't remember, or she just didn't want to, I don't know. But I know for sure that for some reason everyone leap year I really liked it and the date February 29 never scared.

Leap year. Signs

Probably, many people know that in a leap year it is extremely undesirable get married or get divorced, change job or place of residence. But there are many more signs, small and not very.

better in leap year not walk caroling. It was believed that carols in such a year can be awakened evil spirit and invite trouble on yourself and your family;
not recommended to sell or distribute animals from your home (so you can distribute luck)
categorically not recommended start construction houses or cottages. Better even not start off to plan construction (it is believed that such construction will either not be completed or will bring misfortune)
You can list signs for a long time, but believe in them or not – personal choice each person. Personally, I do not think that every leap year will necessarily be bad, because we create our own life, and not some February 29th.

February 29 - historical date

A bit of history:

1696 - Peter I began to lead the construction of ships for the Azov campaign
1916 - Arthur Hale received a patent for the so-called. "Clover" decoupling model, which reduces the risk of an accident
2004 - the film "The Lord of the Rings. The Return of the King won all 11 Oscars for which it was nominated.

Overdone

There are cases in history when people tried so hard to keep track of the calendar that they overdid it a little and got another extra day - February 30th. February 30 first appeared in1712 on the calendar Kingdom of Sweden. This happened because the Swedes got so confused when switching from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar that they almost got their own chronology.

Once again, the 30th appeared in February in 1929 in USSR. Then it was due to the need to divide the year into 72 five-day periods due to the reform of the People's Commissar Soviet Union.

And there is a possibility that February 30th will have to be added to the calendar 3328 years, because the astronomical calendar does not coincide 100% with ours, and by that time another day will “run in”. But, unfortunately, we will not see this for sure.

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I never believed that leap year maybe some bad. The people around me, especially those who had “seen”, with each onset of such a period, began to talk about him. cautiously, and at the same time, with distrust and hopelessness. Indeed, after all, nothing can be done, this is a special period that tests the strength of many people. I became terribly interested: a what they are, in fact, so afraid and why?

What is a leap year and who invented it?

Word "leap year" comes from Latin and means "second sixth". This is such a year Julian(every 4 years) and Gregorian calendars(also every 4 years, but with exceptions), in which they count not 365 days, but 366 . "Kneaded" is an all-famous Roman ruler Caesar who introduced the Julian calendar in 45 BC., but they came up with it - astrologers. But, priests, which did not understand the principle of calculation and did not specify it, they managed to "screw it up": instead of adding 1 day every 4 years, they added 1 day in February every 3 years. Only 36 years later, the ruler August was restored correct order.

Saint Oswald's Day

Few of us know about this holiday of lovers. It is celebrated every 4 years February 29 in memory of the saint Oswalde who died on this day. Traditionally, any woman can offer get married to the man in whom she unrequitedly in love. But if that refuse, then will be required to pay fine size in 100 pounds.

What's good about a leap year

It sounds strange, what can be good in a period that brings only misfortunes? It was seen what exactly in leap years born great or brilliant people culture and art:

I. Strauss;
M. Glinka;
L. Tolstoy;
I. Goncharov.

From modern famous people - actors T. Hanks, K. Khabensky, K. Diaz.

The opinion of psychologists about the leap year

What can psychologists say? Has such a depressing pattern been confirmed by science? No. Everything is in our heads. You yourself « programmer» own life. What we fear will happen, our personal attitude for certain events. Therefore, in a leap year, you need to live the way you lived in previous years, without going in cycles.

Since childhood, I sincerely felt sorry for people who have a birthday February 29. Well, how is it that a "great", by children's standards, holiday happens once every 4 years ?!

Later, of course, it was explained to me when those who were born February 29 and generally speaking, what is this day.

What is the meaning of a leap year

It turns out that everything is elementary ... Leap yearis due to the fact that the Earth does not have time to meet the 365 days when flying around the sun. She should hurry, but no! And every year mother planet late by 6 hours.

The first year "lost" 6 hours, the second, third, and by the fourth - already a day turned out. So the inhabitants of the Earth decided not to disturb the onset of summer and winter over time, add this day every fourth calendar year.

It turns out that A leap year is a year that is 1 day longer than its three predecessors. He counts in comparison with them 366 days.

This fact of the Earth's lagging behind has been known for a long time, the problem was solved insertion of a leap year. However when comparing tropical year(time between equal positions of the sun) with calendar, revealed discrepancy of 1 day after 128 years. To correct the inaccuracy, the current calendars ruled, having achieved an error 1 day/50,000 years in the New Julian calendar.

Although it is the most accurate, to my surprise, it does not have a ubiquitous distribution in the world.

How to be birthday

Birthday people celebrate their holiday for 3 years a day earlier or later(optional), and for the 4th year - on time. It seems to have become clear, but still I still sympathize with those born in leap day. Although they are definitely not deprived of something, but they are definitely not deprived of attention.

For example:

AT Texas organized annually celebration, which gathers from all over the world those who born February 29.
AT Hong Kong and New Zealand the state paid attention to them and "simplified" their lives, determining the date of the celebration.
Something tells me that Zero Discrimination Day» also coincidentally timed to March 1.

Some believe that in additional day of the year appear most talented people. Personally, I have not found exact statistics and I believe in it weakly. For the same reason skeptically I am of the opinion that leap year"attracts" trouble. No more, no less bad and good things happen in it than in a year containing 365 days.

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The leap year, in which an extra day is added to the end of February every four years, is due to a mismatch solar system and the Gregorian calendar. The Earth's full orbit around the Sun takes exactly 365.2422 days, but the Gregorian calendar has 365 days. So leap seconds - and leap years - are added to keep our clocks (and calendars) in sync with the Earth and her seasons.

Why is the extra day in February and not in another month?

All other months in the Julian calendar have 30 or 31 days, but February fell victim to the ego of the Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus. During the time of his predecessor Julius Caesar, February had 30 days and the month of his name - July - 31, while August had only 29 days. When Caesar Augustus became emperor, he added two days to "his" month to make August as long as July. So February fell victim to August in the battle for extra days.

Julius Caesar vs. Pope Gregory

The Roman calendar did have 355 days, with an additional 22-day month every two years, until Julius Caesar became emperor in the 1st century and ordered the astronomer Sosigenes to develop a better system. Sosigen settled on 365 days a year with an extra day every four years to include extra hours, and so appeared on February 29. Because an earth day is not exactly 365.25 days, Pope Gregory XIII's astronomers decided to remove three days every 400 years when they introduced the Gregorian calendar in 1582. The calculations have worked since then, but the system would have to be rethought after about 10,000 years.

Technically, a leap year doesn't occur every four years.

2000 was a leap year, but 1700, 1800 and 1900 were not. A leap year is every year that is divisible by four, except for those years that are both divisible by 100 and not divisible by 400. The added centuries rule (versus the simple "every four years") was an additional correction to compensate for the fact that an extra day every four years was too much of a correction.

What is a leap second?

Leap years are not directly related to leap seconds, but they were all introduced for the purpose of keeping our clocks and calendars in line with the revolutions of the Earth. Leap seconds were added to bring the Earth's rotation in line with atomic time. The leap second was added at the end of June last year, when just after midnight the dials showed 11:59:60. Atomic time is constant, but the Earth's rotation is gradually slowing down by about two thousandths of a second per day. So leap seconds are critical to ensure that the time we use doesn't accurately deviate from time based on the Earth's rotation. If this is not checked, eventually we will come to the fact that the clock will show noon at night. The leap second can sometimes cause problems for some networks that rely on precise timings. When the last leap second was added in 2012, Mozilla, Reddit, Foursquare, Yelp, LinkedIn, and StumbleUpon reported crashes, and problems with operating system Linux and programs written in Java.

Other calendars need leap years too

The modern Iranian calendar is a solar calendar with eight leap days added every 33 years. The Indian National Calendar and the Revised Calendar of Bangladesh arrange their leap years that a leap day is always close to February 29 in the Gregorian calendar.

What if you were born on February 29th?

The chance of being born on a leap year is 1 in 1461. People who were born on February 29th are called "leaplings" or "leapers" (from "leap year" - leap year). In common years, many of them choose either February 28th or March 1st to celebrate their birthday, while purists stick to February 29th. Some suggest that those born just after midnight on February 29 should celebrate their birthdays on February 28, while those born just before midnight on March 1 should celebrate their birthdays on that day. Those born around noon are less fortunate when it comes to choosing. About 4.1 million people worldwide were born on February 29th.

Famous people born on a leap day

The chances of your birthday falling on a leap day are extremely slim - 1 in 1461 to be exact - and there's a pretty mixed bag of famous people born on that day.

Frederick is a character in The Pirates of Penzance
John Byrom - Romantic poet
Pope Paul III - 16th century pontiff
George Augustus Polgreen Bridgetower - 19th century musician
Ann Lee - leader of the Shaker sect
Gioacchino Rossini - Italian composer
Charles Pritchard - British astronomer
Sir Dave Brailsford - English cyclist and coach
Tony Robbins - motivational speaker
Alan Richardson - composer
Darren Ambrose - English footballer
Ja Rule (Jeffrey Atkins) - rapper

Photo: Sir Dave Brailsford changed the fate of British cycling

Why do women propose to men on a leap year?

Leap year is also known as the time when women can propose to men.

According to one theory, this tradition dates back to the 5th century, when, according to legend, the Irish nun Saint Bridget complained to Saint Patrick that women had to wait too long for proposals from suitors. Saint Patrick then allegedly gave women the opportunity to do it themselves every four years. Until the 19th century, no one thought that the tradition would become commonplace. There is also a theory that Margaret, Queen of Scots was behind the legendary Scottish law of 1288. The law gave unmarried women the freedom to propose during a leap year, and the man who refused had to pay a fine. True, this story is dubious at best - after all, Queen Margaret was only eight years old when she died, and scholars have been unable to find a record of the law.

Others argue that the tradition of women proposing on this day dates back to a time when a leap year day was not recognized by English law. According to this theory, if the day had no legal status, it was acceptable to break with the custom that it was a man's job to propose. In Denmark, if a man declines an offer, he is required to give the woman 12 pairs of gloves, while in Finland, the penalty is fabric for a skirt.

Leap year capital

The city of Antonia, which lies on the border between Texas and New Mexico in the United States, is the self-proclaimed Leap Year Capital of the World. The four-day leap year festival held there every leap year includes a huge birthday party for all children born on that day.

According to a study by Beefeater, 20% of women said they would like to propose to their partner. Despite this, nearly a third of the women said they would be concerned about their partner's reaction. However, more than half of the men (59%) would like their girlfriends to get down on one knee. To that end, the chain has created a "Leap Year Package" just in case you want to ask this question at one of their establishments.

Research by The Stag Company has found similar results, with more than half of the men saying they would accept a proposal from their girlfriend and the majority saying they would like their girlfriend to present them with a ring. However, only 15% of the women said they would consider the offer.

Leap year proverbs

In Scotland, a leap year is considered bad for cattle. That is why the Scots sometimes say: "Leap year has never been good year for the sheep."

In Italy, where they say "anno bisesto, anno funesto" (meaning leap year, fateful year), there are warnings against planning special events such as weddings. What is the reason?

"Anno bisesto tutte le donne senza sesto", which means "In a leap year, women are fickle".

Other Leap Year Facts

Summer Olympic Games always held in a leap year

In Greece, couples often avoid getting married on a leap year, believing it brings bad luck.

Food for thought: If you work for a fixed monthly salary, you will have to work one more day than usual for the same salary.

As mentioned above, a year that is divisible by 100 but not by 400 is not technically a leap year. Therefore, 2000 was a Gregorian leap year, as was 1600. But 1700, 1800, and 1900 were not leap years. "There is good reason of this,” said Ian Stuart, Professor Emeritus of Mathematics, Air Force. “There are 365 days in a year and a quarter more - but not exactly. If it was accurate, then you could say that it happens every four years." The decision of Pope Gregory and his astronomers should be rethought in about 10,000 years, Professor Stewart points out.

Leap years are also known as intercalary years.

Did you know that not every 4th year is a leap year? Why is a leap year considered unlucky, and what signs are associated with it?

What does leap year mean?

1. A leap year is a year with 366 days instead of 365 as usual. An extra day in a leap year is added in February - February 29 (leap day).
The extra day in a leap year is necessary because it takes just over 365 days to complete one revolution around the Sun, or rather 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds.
Humans once followed a calendar of 355 days with an extra month of 22 days every two years. But in 45 B.C. Julius Caesar, together with the astronomer Sosigenes, decided to simplify the situation, and the Julian 365-day calendar was developed with an extra day every 4 years to compensate for the extra hours.
This day was added in February as it was once the last month in the Roman calendar.
2. This system was supplemented by Pope Gregory XIII (who introduced the Gregorian calendar), who introduced the term "leap year" and declared that a year that is a multiple of 4 and a multiple of 400, but not a multiple of 100, is a leap year.
So according to the Gregorian calendar, 2000 was a leap year, but 1700, 1800 and 1900 were not.

What are leap years in the 20th and 21st centuries?

1904, 1908, 1912, 1916, 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, 2096

February 29 - leap day

3. February 29 is considered the only day when a woman can propose marriage to a man. The tradition began in 5th century Ireland when Saint Brigid complained to Saint Patrick that women had to wait too long for a proposal from worshipers.
Then he gave women one day in a leap year - the last day in the shortest month, so that the fair sex could propose to a man.
According to legend, Brigitte immediately knelt down and proposed to Patrick, but he refused, kissing her on the cheek, and offered her a silk dress to soften the refusal.
4. According to another version, this tradition appeared in Scotland, when Queen Margaret, at the age of 5, announced in 1288 that a woman can propose to any man she likes on February 29th.
She also made it a rule that those who refused had to pay a fine in the form of a kiss, a silk dress, a pair of gloves, or money. To warn fans in advance, a woman was supposed to wear trousers or a red petticoat on the day of the proposal.
In Denmark, a man who refuses a woman's marriage proposal must provide her with 12 pairs of gloves, and in Finland, fabric for a skirt.

Leap year wedding

5. One in five couples in Greece avoid getting married on a leap year, as it is believed to bring bad luck.
In Italy, it is believed that in a leap year a woman becomes unpredictable, and at this time there is no need to plan important events. So, according to the Italian proverb "Anno bisesto, anno funesto". ("Leap year is a doomed year").

February 29

6. The chances of being born on February 29 are 1 in 1461. Around the world, about 5 million people were born on a leap day.
7. For many centuries, astrologers believed that children born on a leap day have unusual talents, a unique personality, and even special powers. Among the famous people born on February 29, one can name the poet Lord Byron, the composer Gioachino Rossini, the actress Irina Kupchenko.
8. In Hong Kong, the official birthday for those born on February 29th is March 1st in normal years, while in New Zealand it is February 28th. If you time it right, then traveling from one country to another, you can celebrate the longest birthday in the world.
9. The city of Anthony in Texas, USA is the self-proclaimed "leap year capital of the world." A festival is held here every year, where those who wish from all over the world, born on February 29, gather.
10. Record largest number generations born on a leap day belongs to the Keogh family.
Peter Anthony Keogh was born February 29, 1940 in Ireland, his son Peter Eric was born February 29, 1964 in the UK, and his granddaughter Bethany Wealth was born February 29, 1996.

11. Karin Henriksen from Norway holds the world record for having the most children on a leap day.
Her daughter Heidi was born on February 29, 1960, her son Olav on February 29, 1964, and her son Lief-Martin on February 29, 1968.
12. In the traditional Chinese, Jewish and ancient Indian calendar, not a leap day is added to the year, but a whole month. It is called the "intercalary month". It is believed that children born in a leap month are more difficult to raise. In addition, it is considered unlucky to start serious business in a leap year.

Leap year: signs and superstitions

Since ancient times, a leap year has always been considered difficult and bad for many undertakings. AT folk beliefs the leap year is associated with Saint Kasyan, who was considered evil, envious, stingy, unmerciful and brought misfortune to people.
According to legend, Kasyan was a bright angel to whom God entrusted all plans and intentions. But then he went over to the side of the Devil, telling him that God intends to overthrow all satanic power from heaven.
For betrayal, God punished Kasyan, ordering him to be beaten on the forehead with a hammer for three years, and in the fourth year he was released to the ground, where he committed unkind deeds.
There are many signs associated with a leap year:
First, you can't start anything on a leap year. This applies to important matters, business, major purchases, investment and construction.
Also, in a leap year, it is not recommended to change anything, as this will not bring the desired result and can even become disastrous. During this period, do not plan to move to new house job change, divorce or marriage.

Is it possible to get married or get married on a leap year?

A leap year is considered extremely unlucky for marriage. Since ancient times, it was believed that a wedding played on a leap year would lead to an unhappy marriage, divorce, infidelity, widowhood, or the marriage itself would be short-lived.
Such a superstition may be due to the fact that in a leap year, girls could marry anyone they liked. young man who could not refuse an offer. Often such marriages were forced, and therefore family life did not ask.
However, it is worth treating these signs wisely and understanding that everything depends on the spouses themselves and on how they build relationships. If you still planned a wedding, there are several ways to mitigate the "consequences":
Brides are advised to wear long dress for a wedding, covering the knees to make the marriage durable.
The wedding dress and other wedding accessories are not recommended to give to anyone.
The ring should be worn on the hand, not the glove, as wearing the ring on the glove will cause the spouses to take the marriage lightly
To protect the family from troubles and misfortunes, a coin was placed in the shoes of the bride and groom.
The bride must keep the spoon from which the groom ate, and on the 3rd, 7th and 40th day after the wedding, the wife had to give her husband to eat from this spoon.

What can not be done in a leap year?

· In a leap year, they do not carol at Christmas time, as it is believed that you can lose your happiness. Also, according to a sign, a caroler who dresses in an animal or a monster can take on the personality of evil spirits.
· Pregnant women should not have their hair cut before childbirth, as the child may be born unhealthy.
In a leap year, you should not start building a bathhouse, which can lead to ailments.
· In a leap year, it is not recommended to tell others about your plans and intentions, as luck may turn away.
· It is not recommended to sell or exchange animals and you should not drown kittens, as this will lead to poverty.
· Do not collect mushrooms, as they are believed to become poisonous.
In a leap year, there is no need to celebrate the appearance of the first tooth in a child. According to the sign, if you invite guests, your teeth will be bad.
You can not change jobs or apartments. According to you, the new place will turn out to be bleak and restless.
· If a child was born in a leap year, he should be baptized as soon as possible, and godparents should be chosen among blood relatives.
· Elderly people should not buy things for the funeral in advance, as this may hasten death.
You can not get divorced, because in the future you will not be able to find your happiness.