By: Morgan Kellogg

The 2020 calendar year has many unique elements, but one special date that is a part of 2020 is February 29. Leap year occurs every four years, and often leads people to wonder, why is there a leap year? A leap year is caused by an extra five hours, 48 minutes, and 45 seconds each year. Every fourth year, that extra time adds up to be 23.23 hours and, since its close enough to a full 24 hours, we add another day to our calendar year. This year’s Leap Day is on Saturday, February 29.

A few things you might notice about leap year are the many common traditions or myths that originate from the holiday. For example, an old Irish tradition is that women could propose to their significant other on Leap Day. If the man refuses her proposal, he must buy her a dress. According to history.com, a common myth about Leap Day that you may not know about is that if you were to be born on Leap Day, you would have bad luck, and, if you got married on a Leap Day, your marriage could supposedly have a bad outcome.

Not everything about the Leap Year is bad or full of superstition, though. Here are some things that changed since the last leap year, which was February 29, 2016. Technology is something that has come such a long way since the last leap year. In the past four years, advancements such as self-driving cars and face recognizing iPhones have become popular and even common, playing a big role in technological changes that have become a part of many people’s everyday lives in the last four years. Along with technology, climate has also become more widely recognized and concerning. You may be noticing that this year is warmer compared to last year around this time. That’s because the Earth causes too much warmth by trapping gases and warmth in our atmosphere and not releasing it. See The Squire’s article on climate change for more information on the causes and prevention. Popular style also changed since the last leap year. 2016 fashion brought oversized t-shirts, leggings, and “Ugg” boots. 2020 fashion, however, brought back the “mom” jeans, scrunchies, and Converses first popularized in the 1990’s.

How far have you come from the last Leap Year? The next Leap Day will be on Thursday February 29, 2024. What do you think will change by then? Will we have flying cars or vacations to the moon? Many of our readers will be graduated and some of them may even be married. Where do you think your next four years will go? Comment your predictions down below or on social media using our hashtag #ehssquire. Let us know what you think the next four years will bring.