February 29 is a leap day (or "leap year day"), an intercalary date added periodically to create leap years in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the 60th day of a leap year in both calendars, and 306 days remain until the end of the leap year. It is also the last day of February in leap years with the exception of 1712 in Sweden. It is also the last day of meteorological winter in the Northern Hemisphere and the last day of meteorological summer in the Southern Hemisphere in leap years.
In the Gregorian calendar, the standard civil calendar used in most of the world, February 29 is added in each year that is an integer multiple of four unless it is evenly divisible by 100 but not by 400. For example, 1900 was not a leap year but 2000 was. The Julian calendar — since 1923 a liturgical calendar — has a February 29 every fourth year without exception. Consequently, February 29 in the Julian calendar, since 1900, falls 13 days later than February 29 in the Gregorian, until the year 2100.
Leap days are needed to keep our calendar in alignment with the Earth's revolutions around the Sun.
It takes the Earth approximately 365.242189 days—or 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 45 seconds—to circle once around the Sun. This is called a tropical year.
Without an extra, or intercalary day on February 29 nearly every four years, we would lose almost six hours every year. After only 100 years, a calendar without leap years would be off by approximately 24 days. Seasonal days such as the vernal equinox or the winter solstice would, therefore, shift in relation to the months in the calendar. For example, in 100 years, the Northern Hemisphere's autumnal equinox, which falls in late September, would fall in late August, and in a few centuries, August would become a spring month.
Traditions & Folklore
Leap day as a concept has existed for more than 2000 years and it is still associated with age-old customs, folklore, and superstition. One of the most well-known traditions is that women propose to their boyfriends, instead of the other way around.
To read more, go here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February_29
- SERVES
- 12
- PREP
- 5 Min
- CHILL TIME
- 2 Hr
Bring home the bacon and be the top tomato in the kitchen when you make these novel bite-size BLT Bites as super appetizers or snacks!
- 12 -14 cherry tomatoes
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/3 cup sliced green onions
- 1/4 cup bacon bits
- Cut off a thin slice off of each tomato top. Scoop out and discard seeds.
- In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Spoon into tomatoes. Refrigerate for several hours.
