What Is a Feb. 29 Birthday Called? Understanding Leap Day Birthdays
Discover what a February 29 birthday is called and how leap year birthdays are celebrated on non-leap years.
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A birthday occurring on February 29 is commonly referred to as a 'leap year birthday' or a 'leap day birthday'. Those born on this day often celebrate their birthdays on February 28 or March 1 in common years when February 29 is not on the calendar. Leap years are years where an extra day is added to the calendar to keep our calendar year synchronized with the astronomical year.
FAQs & Answers
- Why is February 29 added to the calendar? February 29 is added every four years during a leap year to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical year, correcting for the fact that a solar year is approximately 365.25 days.
- How do people born on February 29 celebrate their birthdays in non-leap years? People born on February 29 often celebrate their birthdays on February 28 or March 1 during common (non-leap) years when February 29 is not on the calendar.
- What defines a leap year? A leap year is any year divisible by 4, except for years that are divisible by 100 but not by 400, in which an extra day, February 29, is added to keep calendars aligned with Earth's orbit.