Did you know February is also packed with fun international holidays?

February 2024 Holidays

Feb. 01: St. Brigid’s Day

Feb. 02: Groundhog Day

Feb. 02: Día de la Candelaria (Candlemas day)

Feb. 09: Brazilian Carnaval

Feb. 10: Chinese New Year (2024 is the year of the Dragon)

Feb. 13: Mardi Gras

Feb. 14: Lent Begins

Feb. 14: Valentine’s Day

Feb. 29: Leap Day

I actually started writing this article about Valentine’s Day, but it’s history and traditions aren’t really that interesting. Although I do like all the chocolate. Valentine’s Day in Mexico is known as Día del amor y la Amistad, which means the day of love and friendship. The day is focused on celebrating friends and family as well as romantic love. Ok enough about that because I went down a rabbit hole on the history of Leap Year, which is way more interesting (but also involves a little love).

So why do we have a February 29 every four years? I had never given it much thought. It turns out that adding an extra day every four years keeps our seasonal calendar aligned with the astronomical seasons. Now what is an astronomical season? The astronomical calendar is formed by the natural rotation of Earth around the sun, in which we define seasons with two solstices and two equinoxes. Meteorological seasons are based on the annual temperature cycle. If we didn’t have a Leap Year every four years the astronomical calendar would eventually un-sync with the meteorological weather; it turns that over a period of about 700 years our summers in the northern hemisphere, would begin to occur in December! Que Loco!

Now because I’m a little devil-may-care, the idea seeing the seasons actually rotating intrigues me. But alas, it is not up to me, and I probably won’t live 700 years… and so this year we have 366 days instead of 365.

There is a great historical debate as to if a Leap Year brings good luck, or bad luck…

Leap Year facts, legends, and folklore…

  • A Leap Day is the extra day in the leap year.
  • Babies born on Leap Day are called Leaplings.
  • The odds of being born on February 29th are 1 in 1,461, or .068 per cent. Being born on Leap Day is actually rarer than being born with 11 fingers and toes (odds are 1 in 500).
  • According to Irish legend, St. Brigid struck a deal with St. Patrick to allow women to propose to men and every four years on February 29. There’s your Leap Year love! There’s a Movie called Leap Year about this tradition.
  • However, in Greece, getting married in a Leap Year is bad luck.
  • Superman’s birthday is February 29.
  • The Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts (1620).
  • Benjamin Franklin proved that lightning is electricity (1752).
  • Gold was discovered in California (1848).
  • The Titanic sank (1912).
  • In February 1988 the town of Anthony, Texas, declared itself the Leap Year Capital of the World” and an international Leapling birthday club was started.

Leap Day Numerology

Leap Day occurs on February 29. In terms of numerology, 29 is broken down into 2 + 9 = 11, a number of powerful spiritual awakening

It is believed that women can propose to men on Leap Day because it balances the traditional roles of men and women in a similar way to how Leap Day balances the calendar.

There is even a Leap Day Cocktail, which is a version of the martini, invented by bartender Harry Craddock at London’s Savoy Hotel in 1928. According to the Savoy Cocktail Book, it is said to have been responsible for more proposals than any other cocktail ever mixed!

Recipe:

2 ounces gin

1/2 ounce sweet vermouth

1/2 ounce orange liqueur (Grand Marnier)

1/4 ounce lemon juice

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, pour the gin, sweet vermouth, Grand Marnier, and lemon juice.

Stir well.

Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Garnish with a lemon twist.

Cheers! Enjoy your extra day this year!