What leap year traditions take place around the world?

THE year 2024 is special because it’s what’s known as a leap year.

Here is everything you need to know about the unique world traditions that come around once every four years.

1

What is a leap year?

A leap year is the one where February has 29 days instead of the usual 28.

It comes around every four years – and has to do with the time taken by Earth to orbit the Sun.

According to the calendars, it takes the Earth 365 days to complete one journey around the Sun.

In reality, however, the Earth takes 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds to orbit the Sun.

To make things simpler, we take out the extra hours over 365 days and keep adding them to form 24 hours every four years.

What are leap year traditions around the world?

Many fascinating traditions are followed around the world on February 29, the day that marks a leap year.

In the UK, it is the day when Brit women can propose to their partners, contrary to the popular notion that it is a man’s role to propose to a woman.

The tradition is believed to date back to the 5th century when an Irish nun called St Bridget was getting sick of women having to wait too long for their men to propose.

She lobbied St Patrick until he was nice enough to give her one day in February, but only the one that occurs once every four years, when women were allowed to propose.

The town of Anthony in Texas, US, is dubbed the “Leap Year capital of the world”.

Every four years, people born on February 29 – called Leapers – gather in town to celebrate their rare birthdays with live music and food.

German women follow the tradition of decorating a birch tree with paper ribbons and putting it out front of the house of their boyfriends / or someone they have a crush on.

In France, a unique newspaper called La Bougie du Sapeur comes out every four years on February 29.

The paper has been running since the ’80s and outsells other daily papers on this day.

According to Greek superstitions, couples are advised not to get married in a leap year – as they are more likely to get divorced.

It is also said that those who split from their partners in a leap year may not find happiness in the rest of their lives.

When is the next leap year?

Interestingly, any year that can be divided by four without the need for rounding up or down is a leap year.

The year 2024 is also a leap year with one extra day added to February.

The next leap year will be the year 2028.