Leap Day Feb. 29, 2024

Leap Day

Are you a "leapling?" No, not like this Eurasian red squirrel; rather, that"s the term for anyone born on leap day! A leap year is a calendar oddity that exists because Earth"s orbit and our usual year count are slightly out of sync. Earth takes 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds, to revolve around the sun. To compensate for those extra 5 hours, February gets an extra day—leap day—every four years. The concept, dating back to the ancient Romans, was refined in the Gregorian calendar, introduced in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII. While the purpose of the day is to keep our year aligned with the solar calendar, it can also serve as an extra day to prepare for spring! Cultures worldwide mark leap days and years with unique customs. In Ireland and Britain, women propose to men, in Greece, marrying during a leap year is said to bring misfortune, and in France, a satirical newspaper is published.

© Westend61/Getty Images

palette

More Desktop Wallpapers:

The lonely castle
Huddled and hunting
Im ready for my close-up, Mr. DeSquirrel
Oct. 9, 2024Aspens near Marble, Colorado, USA
More of a moustache than a beard?
The Big Apple with a foggy topping
Giddy family fun
In the tropics, land greets sea warmly
Dec. 21, 2025Winter solstice
Nov. 14, 2024Manarola, Cinque Terre National Park, Liguria, Italy
Aug. 7, 2024St. Joseph North Pier Inner and Outer Lights, Michigan, USA
Mar. 17, 2026Happy St. Patricks Day!
Oct. 11, 2023The Painted Hills, Oregon
Sep. 15, 2023Glenariff Forest Park, County Antrim, Ireland
Golden cliffs of deep space
Jul. 16, 2025Temple of Philae, Aswan, Egypt
Apr. 7, 2025Whistler World Ski & Snowboard Festival
Fragrant fields as far as the eye can see
Apr. 10, 2025Siblings Day
Rising with the sun
Connecting the dots
Mar. 17, 2025Happy St. Patricks Day!
Sep. 9, 2025A female Eurasian red squirrel, Switzerland
A modern recreation
Oct. 1, 2025Clark Range, Yosemite National Park, California, United States
Jun. 28, 2024Stonewall uprising anniversary
Jul. 8, 2024Blueberries growing in the wild
A glimpse of the grandest of canyons
Feb. 8, 2025Medieval towers in Mestia, Upper Svaneti, Georgia
Nov. 20, 2023World Childrens Day