It’s an extra day to enjoy life and learn something new!

Leap Day only happens once every four years, so it’s certainly a special occasion. Why not celebrate? (We are!)

As we gear up for our quadrennial Leap Day party, we’ve put together some fun leap year history, trivia, and even a little math. There is always something new to learn!

Leap Year History

• Back in 45 BCE, Julius Caeser created the 12 month calendar that we use today. He based his calendar on an Egyptian calendar created 3,000 years earlier.
• An Irish legend states that February 29 is the day women can (and should!) propose to men. This quaint “reversal” was popular in many parts of Europe, with men charged a penalty for refusing a woman’s proposal.

Leap Year Trivia

• Babies born on February 29 are called leaplings, leapers, or leap day babies.
• Some famous leaplings include Dinah Shore, Tony Robbins, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, and Superman!
• The Leap Year Capital of the World is Anthony, TX. This is self-proclaimed, however they’ve earned it by hosting a special festival every leap year.
• The world record for the most consecutive generations born on Leap Day is held by the Keogh family in Ireland. Three generations – father, son, and granddaughter – were born on Leap Days in 1940, 1964, and 1996.
• The world record for the most members of a single family with Leap Day birthdays is the Hekriksen family of Andenes, Norway. Three siblings were born on February 29, in 1960, 1964, and 1968.

And A Little Leap Year Math…

• Not surprisingly, February 29 is the rarest birthday. Only about 1 in 5 million people have a Leap Day birthday. 
• Leap year came about because an earth year (the amount of time it takes for the earth to revolve around the sun) is 365.24 days. Without an extra day every four years, the calendar would eventually shift out of synch with the seasons.
• The math doesn’t work out perfectly, though. A leap year day actually adds an extra 44 minutes to the four-year cycle.
• To accommodate the extra 44 minutes, there are some extra rules, too. Some years get skipped. It’s a leap year if the year is divisible by four. However, if the year is evenly divided by 100, but not 400, it’s not a leap year. So, the year 2000 was a leap year, but 1900 and 2100 are not.

At Sunnyside Manor we believe there is always time to keep learning (including a whole extra day this year), and always something to celebrate. Happy Leap Day, and happy birthday to all the leaplings!

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Sunnyside Manor, located in Wall NJ, is the area’s premier family-owned senior living community. The community features three distinctive neighborhoods: Independence ‘Plus’ Assisted Living, Recollections Memory Care, and Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation.