Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Leap Day Trivia, Traditions and Legends

Growing up, most of us learned the rhyme (or a similar version of it):

Thirty days have September,
April, June and November.
All the rest have thirty-one,
but February stands alone
with twenty-eight, in line
Till leap year makes it twenty-nine.

Procrastinator that I am, I'm happy to have an extra day to meet a March 1 deadline tomorrow. Other than that, Leap Year/Leap Day has its own special trivia, traditions, and legends.

Did you know that:

* According to Irish legend, St. Brigid of Kildare approached St. Patrick on behalf of all women to complain they had to wait for marriage proposals from men. St. Patrick agreed that each Leap Year, specifically on Leap Day, the tables would be turned and women could propose to men.  

* In some countries, Leap Day is also known as "Bachelor's Day."

* In Scotland, a woman proposing on Leap Day should wear a red petticoat under her skirt--and make sure it's partly visible when she proposes.

* In Scotland, it was once considered unlucky to be born on Leap Day.

* People born on February 29, are called "leaplings" or "leapers."

* People born on February 29 are invited to join The Honor society of Leap Year Day Babies.

* In Greece it’s supposed to be unlucky for couples to marry on Leap Day.

Here's a link to read more Leap Day superstitons. If you type "Leap Year Superstitions" in Google search you can find even more.

Now I better get back to work on those pesky deadlines. Although after reading the Irish Leap Year legend, I have an excuse--procrastination is apparently a trait I inherited from Irish ancestors on my dad's side.

12 comments:

  1. Aaah, so if I have some Irish ancestry, I can blame my procrastination on that? Thanks, Donna.

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    Replies
    1. Works for me.
      There's another Irish saying, "Don't let the facts get in the way of a good story."
      Donna

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  2. Thanks for the trivia, Donna. I didn't know any of that. Okay, I knew the first two lines of the rhyme but that's it. :)

    (And I hope you and your family made it through those storms okay.)

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    Replies
    1. Hi Madeline,

      The winds have been wicked, but our area of Missouri didn't get hit. Branson wasn't as lucky.

      Donna

      Delete
  3. I LOVE trivia, and like Madeline, I only knew the poem. (Also like Madeline, I only knew the first two lines.) So thanks for enlightening me!

    (Would also like to say that I LOVE puns--but I'm sure you already knew that. And I love poetry--I'd never read the T.S. Eliot one called "Ash Wednesday." Excellent. And P.S. I'm sending you some Good 'n Plenty and then we'll see how good you are. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Cathy,
      I figured you were a trivia buff and someone who loves words.

      Thanks for the Good and Plenty offer. Right now I couldn't eat any candy unless it was through an IV. I had some dental work yesterday, which is a good way to lose weight and keep my Lenten fast. Jello, oatmeal, and chicken noodle soup aren't bad, though.

      Donna

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  4. Had never heard any of this, so I really enjoyed it! Guess that's why the Irish are lucky? Works for me! Hope you feel better soon from your dental work.

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  5. I too, was grateful for an extra day in February. Thanks for sharing this info - I had no idea! Have a great weekend!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Karen,
      You are welcome. Hope you have a great weekend too.
      Donna

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  6. I'm pretty sure I must have some Irish in me... procrastinator that I am, and even with the extra day I missed the deadline.

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  7. Thanks and grateful for an extra day in Feb. Thanks

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