February 29: what is a Leap Day?

SOURCE: GEMINI

A Leap Day is an extra day added to the calendar in a leap year, which occurs every four years (with some exceptions). This extra day, February 29th, helps keep our calendars in sync with the Earth's revolution around the Sun.

Here's why it's necessary:

A year on Earth actually takes slightly longer than 365 days, closer to 365.25 days.

Our calendars typically have 365 days, which means they fall slightly out of sync with the seasons over time.

Adding a Leap Day every four years helps bridge this gap and keeps the calendar aligned with the seasons.

It's interesting to note that Leap Years aren't always exactly every four years. There are some exceptions to the rule:

Years divisible by 100 but not by 400 are not leap years (e.g., 1900, 2100).

Years divisible by 400 are leap years (e.g., 2000, 2400).

So, the next Leap Day won't be in 2025, but in 2028, following these rules.