I started this blog in February 2009 (yes, this is the 3rd anniversary-ish), which means it didn't exist in 2008 for the last Leap Day. So, of course, I couldn't miss posting on February 29th!
According to Wikipedia (duh, the repository of all knowledge): "February 29 is a date that usually occurs every four years, and is called leap day. This day is added to the calendar in leap years as a corrective measure, because the earth does not orbit around the sun in precisely 365 days."
Little known/useless facts: Every year divisible by 4 is a leap year under the Gregorian calendar (the current standard calendar for most of the world). But years divisible by 100 are not UNLESS they are also divisible by 400. So, 1600 and 2000 were leap years, but 1700, 1800, and 1900 were not. The same for 2100.
Also according to Wikipedia: "The Gregorian calendar was designed to keep the vernal equinox on or close to March 21, so that the date of Easter (celebrated on the Sunday after the 14th day of the Moon—i.e. a full moon—that falls on or after March 21) remains correct with respect to the vernal equinox. The vernal equinox year is about 365.242374 days long (and increasing)."
So Happy Leap Day everyone!!!
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