Let's face it, Leap Year is kind of a strange thing. Some of us may not even know why it exists. So, we here at the Big Cock Ranch have decided to do a little digging to fill you in on what it is, and even share some nifty traditions we learned about it.
Leap Years exist because the Earth doesn't just take 365 days to go around the sun... it's closer to 365 and 1/4th of a day. So, to make up for this, we add a day every 4 years on February 29. Otherwise, our calendar would be almost a month off after only 100 years!
Leap Year is not only weird just because of that extra day we fudged to make our calendar work. Did you know that to some people, it's also considered unlucky to be born on Leap Day? Sort of like Friday the 13th. And in Greece, it's supposed to be unlucky to even get married during Leap Year at all.
Speaking of marriage, some countries had a different Leap Year tradition. During the Middle Ages, women were allowed to propose to men on Leap Day. This was the only day they were allowed to do so, and if a man refused, he'd have to pay a penalty. He'd have to give her money, a gown, or several pairs of gloves (presumably to hide the fact that she didn't have an engagement ring, so she could avoid embarrassment). Yep, times were strange!
