Calendar Adjustment Day ― Date, History, and Details
Calendar Adjustment Day may be something you want to learn more about, and we want to help with that.
Let's dive deeper into learning more about the history of Calendar Adjustment Day and why people celebrate or observe it.
History of Calendar Adjustment Day and How to Celebrate/ Observe It
Calendar Adjustment Day is a holiday celebrated on the last day of February in countries that use the Gregorian calendar. It is also known as Leap Day, because it is the day when a leap year occurs. A leap year is a year with an extra day, February 29, which is added to keep the calendar aligned with the Earth’s orbit around the sun. The last day of February is also the day before the start of Lent in the Western Christian tradition.
The idea of a leap year and a leap day dates back to ancient times. The Roman emperor Julius Caesar introduced the Julian calendar in 45 BCE, which included a leap year every four years. However, the Julian calendar was inaccurate, and by the 16th century it had fallen behind the solar year by about 10 days. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian calendar, which is the calendar in use today. The Gregorian calendar is more accurate than the Julian calendar, but it still includes a leap year every four years to keep it aligned with the Earth’s orbit.
Leap years are necessary because the Earth’s orbit around the sun is not exactly 365 days. It is actually about 365.24 days. This means that if we didn’t have leap years, the seasons would slowly shift over time. For example, Christmas would eventually occur in the summertime!
A leap year occurs every four years, except for years that are divisible by 100 but not by 400. So, 2000 was a leap year, but 2100 will not be a leap year.
Some people believe that leap years are unlucky, and there are a number of superstitions associated with them. For example, it is said that couples who get married in a leap year are more likely to get divorced. Others believe that babies born in a leap year are more likely to be sickly or unlucky.
Whether you believe in the superstitions or not, Leap Day is a day to celebrate!