Leap Year Child? If Your Birthday Falls On A Leap Year, This Is What Happens

Leap years are those having 366 calendar days instead than the standard 365. Every four years, we add this extra day to the calendar as February 29.

Why do we have leap years?

But then the question arises: why is there this calendar twist? It's all about keeping the Earth's clock on track with the sun. Earth takes little more than 365 days to complete its orbit around the Sun.

So, every four years, we add an extra day, known as leap day, to ensure that our calendars match the sky. February 29 can be a strange day because it is so uncommon. The day and its odd rituals also have a certain mystique to them.

What happens if your birthday falls on 29 Feb?

Leaplings' age is officially younger than the majority | Image: Pexels

Furthermore, because the day occurs every four years, people born on February 29 miss out on birthdays. Even if "leapers" choose a different date to ensure they have an annual birthday, their age is officially younger than the majority.

According to The Independent, being born on a leap day might be a logistical nightmare since in some cases, those born on this day must have their birth date legally documented on either February 28 or March 1.

For example, in the United Kingdom, the law specifies that if a kid is born on a leap day, the official birthdate is really February 28 in a non-leap year.

How many people are born on a leap day?

It is estimated that approximately 5 million people alive today were born on a leap day.

So, while rare, there are plenty of "leaplings" out there. While they will celebrate their birthday every year, as do the majority of people, it will only occur every four years.

Some of the famous or controversial leaplings include Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, American rapper Ja Rule, and serial killer Aileen Wuornos.

This phenomena is not limited to Earth; it affects practically every other planet in our solar system. Take Mars, for example: it has more leap years than regular years.

A year on Mars consists of 668 sols, or Martian days. However, Mars takes 668.6 sols to complete one circle around the Sun. As a result, periodically adding a sol is required to keep the calendar synchronized.

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