Leap Year & Day ~ what in the world is it all about, why on earth does it occur and what are the impacts?

WHY 366 DAYS? ~ Although most years have 365 days, a complete revolution around the sun takes approximately 365 days & 6 hours.

WHY EVERY 4 YEARS?  ~ Every 4 years, during which an extra 24 hours have accumulated, 1 extra day is added to keep the count coordinated with the sun’s apparent position.

WHAT ABOUT BIRTHDAYS? ~ A person born on February 29th is a “leapling” or a “leap year baby”. Do they wait 4 years to celebrate their birthdays in non-leap years or do some leaplings celebrate their birthday on either February 28 or March 1? And does that mean are they ¼ our age?

Happy Birthday Leaplings!

CELEBRATE ~ Sadie Hawkins day, An American tradition created in the cartoon strip Li’l Abner ~ Where no man is safe! Ladies this is YOUR chance to grab that special gent, take the lead and be the agressor on the romance hunt! Heck why not even PROPOSE! It is believed this tradition was originally started in 5th century Ireland when St. Bridget complained to St. Patrick about women having to wait for so long for a man to propose. According to legend, St. Patrick said the yearning females could propose on this one day in February during the leap year. LEAP!

Leap Day is like that 25th hour, that you’ve been wishing for…in fact, it’s a whole extra day.  Now what on earth are you going to do with the extra time on your hands?

[box] SPECIAL AWARENESS ~ the National Organization for Rare Disorders(NORD) and others around the world observe Rare Disease Day on February 29th. Why? To focus attention on the needs of patients and families affected by rare diseases. In the U.S., any disease affecting fewer than 200,000 Americans is considered rare. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), there are nearly 7,000 such diseases affecting nearly 30 million Americans. Learn More www.rarediseaseday.us [/box]