Occuring once every four years, February 29 marks the Leap Day in 2020 and Google knows just how to celebrate the day with a fancy doodle.
Clicking on the doodle directs you to Leap Day search results.
An extra day in every four years helps in realigning the calendar with Earth's position in the solar system. Years containing the leap day are known as leap years.
Leap days are added to most years that are divisible by 4 but years that are divisible by 100 and not by 400, do not contain a leap day such as 2100, 2200 and 2300.
A leap day is observed because Earth's orbital revolution around the Sun takes approximately six hours longer than 365 whole days therefore the leap day compensates for the lag and prevents seasons to occur later than usual in the calendar year.
A leap day is added in various solar calendars (calendars based on the Earth's revolution around the Sun), including the Gregorian calendar which is the most standard of the world. Whereas, Lunisolar calendars (months based on the phases of the Moon) add a leap or intercalary month instead.
The Rare Disease day is observed on February 29 in leap years, whereas in common years, the day is celebrated on February 28.
There are many facts and myths circled around this day that keeps it out of the ordinary. People around the world celebrate leap day with various superstitions, folklore and traditions since such a day occurs only once every four years.
In Ireland, United Kingdom, Bachelor's Day is celebrated on Leap Day where a woman can propose marriage to a man on February 29.
While in Greece it is considered unlucky to marry on Leap Day.
The odds of being born on a leap day are 1 in 1500, which is enough for someone to feel special.
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