366 days around the sun: Any plans for that 1 extra day?

AN old saying goes:

Thirty days hath September,
April, June and November;
All the rest have thirty-one,
Excepting February alone
Which hath but twenty-eight, in fine,
Till leap year gives it twenty-nine.

2020 is a leap year! This means the Earth will follow its orbit for 366 days. One day is added to Feb so aren’t you excited? You have one extra day in your pockets so how do you plan to spend it?

Will you hang out with friends? Take some time off with your loved ones? Enjoy solitude? It’s up to you!

But did you know that there are beliefs and traditions surrounding leap years? According to Irish Examiner, here are nine leap year traditions and beliefs from around the world.   

1. If a man says no to marriage, he has to buy her 12 pairs of gloves.

In Denmark, tradition says any man who refuses a woman’s proposal on Feb. 29 has to buy her 12 pairs of gloves. Yes, 12. Seems slightly excessive doesn’t it?

But apparently, the intention behind this is they can hide the woman’s embarrassment of not having an engagement ring. Great.

2. You might want to avoid getting married at all this year.

The Greeks say it’s unlucky for couples to marry during a leap year – especially on actual Leap Day, Feb. 29.

3. There’s legit a “leap year capital of the world.”

Anthony, a town in the United States is the self-proclaimed “Leap Year Capital of the World” which celebrates a Leap Year Festival every four years. So, yeah. Wanna hang out in Anthony?

4. In Italy, they have sayings about leap years – and they’re a bit gloomy.

Apparently, one saying goes “anno bisesto, anno funesto” (leap year, gloomy year). It means there are legit warnings against planning special activities such as weddings. The reason?

Well, maybe the saying “Anno bisesto tutte le donne senza sesto.” It means “In a leap year, women are erratic.”

5. People in Russia don’t look upon leap years too fondly either apparently.

They reckon leap years are associated with freak weather and a higher risk of dying.

6. In Taiwan, there’s a superstition to do with… pig trotter noodles.

In this country, parents are thought more likely to die during a leap year. Wait, what?   

There’s a saying in Taiwan that because of the greater risk to the parents’ life during this time, a married daughter should return home during the leap month and bring pig trotter noodles to her parents – to wish them good health and good fortune.

7. If you own livestock, you might want to pay extra attention to this superstition.

In Scotland, a leap year is thought to be bad for livestock. This is why Scottish people sometimes say “Leap year was ne’er a good sheep year.”

Well, apparently anyway.

8. Italy has a special name for Leap Years and it has to do with whales.

In Italy’s Reggio Emilia, a leap year can also be referred to as “l’ann d’ la baleina.”

That literally means “the whale’s year” and it’s because they believe that whales give birth only during leap years. Uh oh.

9. And here’s a cute leap year tradition to do with childhood crushes…and trees.

In the villages of southern Germany, there’s a tradition of boys putting up a small May tree in their crush’s back garden during the night before May Day.

But in leap years? It becomes the girls’ turn to put up the trees. Awwww.

So what are you going to do with that one extra special day? Make it count! (Irish Examiner/PN)