A Leap Year is as a rare as the FIFA World Cup, happening once every four years. And 2024 is the year, February 29 is a real day. Happy Birthday (by the way) to all of our leap year babies!*
*Birthday or not, you can score these freebies and steals on February 29.
What is a leap year?
A leap year is a rare occurrence, happening every four years, in which an extra 23.2 hours are added to the end of February. This adds an extra day the calendar, February 29! The month is usually only 28 days long!
The origin of the leap year dates back to the Roman empire. Julius Ceasar added an extra 48 hours, so the earth’s seasons-winter, spring, summer, and fall-aligned with the astronomical year.
It wasn’t a perfect solution, and it took a few more iterations to come to the leap year we know and have today. The scientific leap year that aligns best with the astronomical year is credited to the calculations of Pope Gregory XIII.
And these extra 23.2 hours actually have a large impact on our calendars. If we did not have leap years, seasons would not begin and end consistently. Summer would begin in spring and winter as early as July! Yikes!
When is the next leap year?
If you’re wondering “is 2024 a leap year?”, well it sure is! So, the next leap year will be February 29, 2024!
Following 2024, the next leap years will be:
- 2028
- 2032
- 2036
- 2040
- 2044
And so on, repeating every four years. However, occasionally leap years need to be skipped when the year is divisible by 100 and not also 400. The next time this will occur is 2100.
How many days are in a leap year?
366 days! Congratulations, you have an extra 24 hours to live it up and complete your New Year’s goals!
What happens if you’re born on a leap year?
You stay 12 years old forever and have some Benjamin Button type ageless or reverse aging luck. Just kidding! Only about .07% of humans will be born on February 29, or currently around 5 million people.
But most people born on a leap year simply pick an adjacent date, February 28 or March 1, to celebrate. Happy birthday to all our “leaplings” out there!