Ever wonder why we get an extra day every four years? It’s all because of leap years!

February 29 may only come around once in four years, but when it does, we must make it extra special for all the "leapers" out there!

We have a leap year every four years, but what are they? Check out the intriguing world of leap years with these fascinating facts:

1. Leap years, occurring every four years, aim to align our calendar with Earth's orbit around the Sun. While a year is traditionally seen as 365 days, Earth takes about 365.2422 days for its full orbit, necessitating the occasional addition of an extra day.

2. Julius Caesar introduced the leap year concept during the Roman calendar reforms in 45 BCE. The Julian calendar, initiated by Caesar, included a leap year system to synchronize with Earth's orbit.

3. Individuals born on February 29th are known as "leaplings" or "leap year babies," celebrating their birthdays in leap years, making their occasions rare and special.

4. Tradition holds that on leap day, women can propose to men. This practice dates back to the 5th century, with St. Bridget expressing concerns to St. Patrick about prolonged waiting for proposals.

5. Leap years can be skipped to address the cumulative effect of the Earth's orbit taking approximately 23.262222 hours longer than four calendar years. A rule skips leap years if a year is divisible by 100 but not by 400, ensuring calendar synchronization.

6. Earth's rotation isn't precisely 365 days, prompting the inclusion of leap years to account for the extra time and maintain synchronization with our planet's slightly irregular orbit around the Sun.

The next leap years will be in 2028, 2032, and 2036 which are a long way away, so that’s definitely caused to celebrate this February 29!

Source / Image Credit : India TV News , Little Passports