Leap year facts
February sees us celebrating an extra day this year, known as a leap year, here are some facts you may not have known about February 29.
As we already know, a leap year only comes around every four years.
It takes the earth a little longer than a year to travel around the sun, 365 days, five hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds, to be exact.
Therefore, as the hours accumulated over the centuries, an extra day was occasionally added to the calendar, and over time the practice became more or less official.
The name “leap year” comes from the fact that while a fixed date in the Gregorian calendar normally advances one day of the week from one year to the next, the day of the week in a leap year will advance two days, from March onward, due to the extra day added at the end of February, thus “leaping over” one of the days in the week.
Legend has it, Queen Margaret of Scotland, who was only five years old at the time, came up with the idea of a leap year proposal, where women were allowed to ask men for their hand in marriage.
If a man refused the proposal he was fined, a kiss, a silk dress or 12 pairs of gloves.
Women wore red breeches or scarlet petticoats on February 29 to warn men of their intentions.
People born on leap day are known as leaplings or leapers.
Those born on this day, depending on which country they are in, celebrate their birthday on February 28 or March 1.
According to astrologers, people born under the sign of Pisces on February 29 have unusual talents and personalities reflecting their special status.
The odds of being born on a leap day are one in 1461.
There you have it, some interesting facts about the extra day this month, so ladies if you are tired of waiting for your partner to pop the question now is your chance.
Let us know who popped the question this leap year.
Sources: Chiff.com, The Telegraph, infoplease and Wikipedia
