“It’s unique, which is something I love about my kids is something unique about them that not everybody has”, says Alicia Smith, mother of Leap Day baby Annabella.
Advertisement
It’s the day that keeps our calendars aligned, but for babies born on Leap Year, they will only have their special day once every four years. That’s because this year is a leap year, and I am a leapling.
Given the special circumstances – and outright difficulties – caused by adding an extra day every four years, what would the impact be if there was an extra week every five or six years? To compensate for those extra hours, Julius Caesar tacked on an extra day in the calendar year way back in 46 BCE.
“It does feel more real”, says Elizabeth of celebrating her son’s birthday on the actual date of his birth.
The online birthday club connects Leap Year Babies to share stories and raise awareness about the unusual day of the year.
I’m betting she will. Call it a leap of faith.
“Because it was born in February we should celebrate February”.
A large circle medallion dangles on a chain around seven-year-old Perry Lumbao’s neck as he leans forward in his chair to explain why he slightly prefers Yo-Kai Watch (a TV show and video game) over Pokemon because it has ghosts.
She’s logged 36 years on the planet, but this year will turn “9”.
But Patek Phillipe’s perpetual calendar does that for you. So you have four years to save up for the next leap year.
Different cultures have varying views on Leap Day. But up north there is a British tradition that says February 29 is the only day a woman can propose marriage to a man. The peas and beans grow the wrong way in their pods, and seeds are set in quite the contrary way to what they are in other years. Yet the very creation of HSLYDB has made sure that this little quirk of time will be remembered, even when modernity has ironed out all the creases. But this year was different.
Imagine turning 100 but having the calendar tell you you’re 25.
Advertisement
One last thing to think about on this leap day morning. You might be tempted to dismiss Dawn and Brouwer for perhaps taking this too seriously, but in Pete’s own words: “Our work is done”.
