omorrow
someone may tell you, "It’s my 18th birthday and
I am 72 years old." In the first instance it may sound
absurd but on consciously being aware of that "extraa"
leap in the almanac, you may well take it on its face.
Care for this rhyme:
"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."
To resolve the past irregularities Julius Caesar with
the advice of an astronomer Susigenes figured out that a year
of 445 days was needed to do a balancing act between Time and
Earth. And that long year was 46 B.C. Thus the leap year began
in circa 47 B.C.
In the 8th century an Anglo-Saxon monk by the name Bede
found that the Julian year was longer by 11 minutes and 14
seconds but nothing could be done about it till the 15th
century when Pope Gregory XIII decreed in favour of astronomer
Christopher Clavius’ calculations. Thus 11 days were totally
eliminated by making October 4 followed by October 15 in 1582
AD since months and seasons were not matching as worked out.
Accordingly, December was made the last month of a year with a
leap year to follow every four years on February 29. And a new
Gregorian Calendar came into force.
For the reason that the spring equinox determines the date
of Easter, the Christians had a stake in having a stable
calendar, which the entire world still follows. Hindu
festivals are determined by Vikrami and Samvat almanacs; the
Muslims follow Hijri.
There are about four-million leapies (born on February
29th) in the world. Our own Morarji Bhai was one of these. In
Scotland in the year 1288, the Leap Year Balls, held in
glamorous and romantic settings, afforded an opportunity for
women to legally propose to their men of choice. Prior to
this, in 5th Century Ireland, there existed this practice of
allowing women to propose to men on February 29 and in case
the latter refused, they were fined.
Simple minds question the astronomical logic of adding a
day to the month of February only. One Jacob E. Goldman wrote
to the editor of The New York Times, on January 5 1995, about
a linguistic inconsistency saying, that the ‘extraa’ day
should be added at the end of the year i.e. 31st December and
it need not be referred to as the leap day; rather a leap
year. How silly! What will happen to the New Year Eve and the
New Year Day Mr. Jacob? Shall we then say," A Happy New
Leap Year to you!"
Aquarians of the world, unite to continue having a day
still added to February for who knows a Caesar or a Gregory
may alter the almanac. And the leapies, A Very Happy Birthday
to you all in advance!
