Every four years, we add a day to our shortest month to make up for the fact that it really takes Earth a little more than 365 days to orbit the sun.
The year is, of course, called leap year, with February 29 being leap day. But what, exactly, is leaping?
It would be more accurate to call February 29 “intercalary day,” but that doesn’t quite have the same ring to it.
The name is likely inspired by the effect of leap day on the months that follow: It means that dates on the calendar leap ahead two days of the week instead of one. So if your birthday is March 1 or later and was on a Friday last year, it will be on a Sunday instead of a Saturday this year.
Maybe it should be called “skip day” instead? 🤔
Whether or not the names “leap day” and “leap year” resonate with you, they shouldn’t be capitalized.
