Leap Year Fun Facts: Today is 29th February. This day is very special, because 29th February comes once in four years. Today we will tell you what is leap year? What is its importance? And some interesting facts related to this. If you also do not know much about leap year then this article is for you.
Most people know what a leap year is. Yes, the same 29th February which comes once every four years. But apart from this, very few people are aware of the facts related to it. Like how it originated. How was it decided for the first time that February 29 would be considered a leap year ? Today we are going to share with you some great facts and information related to this. Which will make you a leap year expert.
Why do we celebrate leap year?
Leap years have an extra day due to the time it takes for the Earth to revolve around the Sun. This extra day is added to the month of February, making it a leap year.
What does history say?
Today is February 29 and 2024 is a leap year. That means this year there are 366 days instead of 365. But to understand how it started, you have to go back a little. Just a few thousand years back. It is said that leap year calendars were first made in the Egyptian Empire. The goal of the Egyptians at that time was to create a calendar that mimicked the solar calendar. So that time and weather can be kept on one track. That means at that time there were no Mondays, Tuesdays and 30-31 days of the month. Then time and days progressed according to the weather.
Julius Caesar: Father of the Modern Leap Year
Now let’s go a little further, the Roman Empire occurred in approximately 3000.45 BC. Its ruler Julius Caesar felt that the time had come to recognize that winter, summer and monsoon were three different seasons. There should be months based on these. He created a calendar of 12 months and 365 days. All went well for a few days, but then they realized that the Earth actually had 365.24 days per year instead of 365.
That means the Earth takes approximately 365.25 days to revolve around the Sun. Once again the calendar was changed. This time Caesar created a calendar that followed the man-made and solar calendars, in which there was a leap year every four years. With this, Julius Caesar was said to be the father of the modern leap year.
Gregorian calendar determined
Over time, the calendar began to contain inaccuracies due to the calculation of an extra day. Subsequently, Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian calendar in 1582. This calendar introduced a new rule for leap years, excluding years divisible by 100 unless they were also divisible by 400. And thus the leap year was determined every four years.
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