Where did leap year come from?

February is our shortest month, but it is a very busy month. And every four years, it is awarded an extra day that we call “Leap Year.”

There is an explanation coming. But first, here is a question and a bit of trivia. The question is, “In astronomical lore, we observe the Gregorian calendar. Except for Leap Year, how many months are known for having 28 days?”

If you said February, you are partly right, but if you take the time to think about the question, you well realize that all twelve months have 28 days, though, some have a few more. And this year, 2020, we have a unique situation when the date for Ground Hog Day which is Feb. 2 is written 02/02/2020. You can read it 02,02,20,20 and when read backwards, it is also 02,02,20,20. I hope this knowledge has expanded your horizons.

Now, let’s delve into the mystery of Leap Year. Worldwide, approximately 4 million people born on Feb. 29 can actually celebrate their birthdate on the exact day of their birth only every fourth year.

That poses the questions, why do we even need leap year and why is it tacked on to February? The early Romans developed the Roman calendar with 355 days. During the time of Julius Caesar, astronomers realized that their calendar did not line up with the seasons. So, after re-calculating, they developed a 365 day calendar, but it required occasionally adding an extra Where did leap year come from? day to the last month of the year, which in their calendar was February.

Since this was during the reign of Julius Caesar, they called this calendar the Julian calendar. After several centuries, this calendar was off by 11 days, so in 1582 Pope Gregory XII worked with astronomers to develop a new calendar that would not get ahead of itself as time went by. Thus, if a year is divisible by four, it could be a “Leap Year.” This formed the Gregorian calendar that we use today, and it is....

For the rest of the story pick up the Feb. 19 edition of The Rosebud News or Read the E-Edition here.