Leap year 2024: what it is, why leap year is considered bad

Every four years our calendar increases by one day, which adds a lot of difficulties. For example, if you or your family were born on February 29, it is likely that this date will not be recorded in the documents. The day of your birth will be March 1.

Also, in addition to confusion with documents, there may be difficulties in planning: an extra day in February, as a rule, flies out of memory. Accordingly, the whole labor schedule shifts. But these facts are quite correctable and do not cause any harm. However, there are real “scares”.

According to a recently published VTsIOM poll, more than half of Russians have heard the opinion that the leap year is considered to be difficult and a number of troubles may occur at this time. Such people turned out to be 69 percent. Of those polled, most often women and people aged 45 to 70 believe in such omens and superstitions.

So should we be afraid of the magical aura of the leap year, formed over centuries? Let’s understand and dispel the legends that have formed around the mathematical calendar puzzle.

Índice

Why did an extra day appear in the calendar?

In fact, there is no magic in the appearance of extra days. This is just an astronomical feature associated with the movement of the planets around the sun. Scientists back in the time of Julius Caesar in the first century B.C. calculated and revealed it.

A year is a conventional unit of measurement denoting the change of four cycles: winter, spring, summer and fall. It is taken to denote the passage of a complete revolution of the Earth around the Sun. But the ancient scientists were able to establish that our planet makes a complete revolution around the fireball is not exactly for 365 days, and with an additional six hours.

In order not to make confusion in the existing scheme and to keep the balance of natural phenomena, it was decided to “save” additional hours and add uncounted time segments in an extra day in February every four years.

But even this is not where the astronomers stopped. The calculations of the calendar, made during the reign of Julius Caesar, seemed inaccurate. So other chronological records were created. According to them we live now – this is the Gregorian calendar.

Difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendars

As we found out earlier, the first documented and extant calendar of leap years was compiled under Julius Caesar. Actually, it was named in honor of the Roman emperor. Otherwise, it is also called the “solar calendar”. This definition is still used by astronomers. The name reflects the consecutive passage of the equinox points of the Sun. The year on the Julian calendar is divided into 12 months and is equal to 365 days and 6 hours.

In 1582 Pope Gregory the 13th considered that the ancient document of chronology contains a lot of errors, and, in particular, he disliked the idea of celebrating Easter on different days of the week. More accurate calculations were made, and the Christian holiday since then has always fallen exactly on Sunday.

Also, after the changes in the Gregorian calendar, the number of days in the year decreased by hundredths. Hence the accumulated difference of 13 days between the calendars. On Gregorian – year makes 365,2425 days, in Julian – 365,25 days. Thus, since the XVI century, all important church holidays have moved forward by two weeks. For example, Christmas. The Catholic Church celebrates it on December 24, the Orthodox celebrate it on January 7.

The transition to the new chronology was difficult for the whole world. It took more than one century for the Gregorian calendar to become a fundamental document on which all countries relied.

In Russia only in 1918 officially switched to the Gregorian calendar, but the church continued to live on the Julian calendar. Hence, the phenomenon of old and new style appeared.

Leap year in the Gregorian calendar is divisible by 4 and 400. In the Julian calendar every fourth year is considered a leap year.

Where did the name leap year come from?

The word combination comes from the Latin concept bix sextus and means, according to the literal translation, “the second sixth”. The point is that our ancestors counted the lived days in reverse order – from the first day of the next month. The last day was marked by the first and so on. That is, February 24 was the sixth day of March. The additional day of leap year became the second duplicate sixth day before the next month.

And then the Latin definition underwent many changes, as is usual with foreign words. Bixectus was transformed into the word combination leap year, which was fixed in Slavic languages.

Why did the negative coloring of the leap year form?

Returning to sociological surveys, we find that the idea that leap year is a time of bad luck, natural disasters, health problems and other misfortunes has really strengthened in consciousness. Numerous stories of grandparents describing the negative things that happened at this time are proof of this.

Having studied folklore in detail, it is possible to draw a parallel between legends and people’s fears. According to ancient East Slavic beliefs, it was in the leap year that St. Kasyan descended from heaven to earth, who betrayed the god. For his bad deeds he was doomed to eternal torment and brought a lot of misfortunes and troubles to people. February 29 even began to be called Kasyan’s day. It was believed that at this time it is better to postpone all important matters and should not start something new and global.

Omen of the leap year

Superstitions with each new generation grew in detail, in some moments embellished. Stories became frightening and bright. Hence the idea that it is in the leap year happens most of the troubles. Therefore, people came up with their personal amulets from misfortunes at this time.

Examples of what they tried not to do in leap year

1. Our ancestors believed that marriage, concluded in a leap year, will not be strong and will certainly disintegrate.

2. It was impossible to move. A change of residence would necessarily be accompanied by unplanned failures.

3. Our forebears did not advise to build houses in a leap year. They believed that this construction will necessarily be subjected to cataclysms: there may be a fire or a flood.

Ancestors believed that any changes that would occur in a leap year could bring additional difficulties. Therefore, it is better to save yourself and live this time in the usual mode.

But these are just legends and interesting facts from folk folklore. Sociologists, astrophysicists and other scientists do not associate the bad events of the leap year with mysticism, calling them just a coincidence. There are no statistics confirming this fact. Catastrophes, troubles and misfortunes happened both in leap years and in ordinary years in the history of mankind.

Why superstitions do not leave our lives?

People continue to believe in supernatural forces and an unlucky year often irrationally, for no apparent reason. This is what psychologists believe. In other words, believing in a bad aura is a habit passed down from generation to generation.

Superstitions are part of the cultural code in which a person grows up and develops. In the mind, they are closely intertwined with the brain’s attempt to increase control over what is happening and shift responsibility for various actions. This is why it is sometimes so difficult for a person to get rid of them.

Business and clinical psychologist

“Superstitious, anxious people may perceive a leap year as a sign of unfavorable events, setbacks or life changes. Belief in mysticism is often linked to cultural tradition or folklore. Also, superstition is nothing more than an attempt to control the unknown and a way to reduce anxiety.”

Bad news or fears evoke strong emotions and motivate people to seek sympathy, support or advice from others. February 29 has long developed a “bad reputation.” The day is perceived as a threat to one’s own safety, health or well-being.

A month before the extra day, people begin frantically reminding each other of this potential danger in order to protect and prepare themselves and loved ones for possible trouble. It’s a natural desire to keep themselves and loved ones safe.

Some people use February 29 as an occasion to get in touch with those with whom the relationship has been interrupted, to draw attention to themselves. In Russian, the word “regret” is close in meaning to “love”, so using it as an occasion to establish long-standing relationships is a good idea. But you should not overdo it. If you constantly press on pity, the desire to embrace will quickly grow into rejection.

Cling to superstition can be, if you need to urgently exhale and on something to write off a minor setback. However, if you feel that the whole year is “down the drain”, it is better to discuss with a specialist – what causes dissatisfaction and anxiety, to understand what will help you find a foothold, and live on without fears and superstitions.