It is Leap Year Day, meaning we've added 24 hours to align our calendars with the earth's rotation. Actually, we get out of sync by some 6 hours a year, but for obvious reasons, we don't tack that on at the end of the year.
If we didn't add an extra day every 4 years, and admittedly it would take a long while, we'd find in a few hundred years or so that New Year's Day would actually be sometime in October.
Now, some people have asked why not just have a 10 month calendar with 36 days per month? And the additional 5 days would be added as "dead days" at the end of the year. Or for that matter, why not align the calendar with the lunar cycle which is about 13 times a year?
Pretty much for the same reason above..the months wouldn't jibe with the calendar. And since we're use to having 12 months, I see no need to change it.
The people I pity have birthdays today. Some 5 million around the world. And some people are quite shitty about not observing the birthday on either the 28th or March 1st. There was a story about a woman who's birthday is the 29th who left her husband because he didn't buy her a gift or anything 3 out of 4 years.
And can you imagine trying to get into a bar with your I.D? You might chronologically be 20, but your I.D would say you're only 5. By the time your I.D said you're legal (18 in most of Canada), you'd be 72. That would seriously suck.
If any of my viewers happen to be a Leaper..Happy Birthday! Enjoy the 4 year wait for the next one.
'Nuff said.
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