A leap year adds an extra day, February 29th, every four years. That happens because the Earth takes a little more than 365 days to go around the Sun, so we need that extra day to keep our calendar in line with the seasons. Without it, spring would slowly move later and later each year.
Examples
- If we didn't have leap years, your birthday might be on a different day each year.
- February would start later every four years, making it feel like winter lasted longer.
- You'd get an extra day off every four years, like a bonus vacation!
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See also
- Why Do We Have Leap Years?
- How Did Ancient People Navigate the Oceans?
- How Did the Pyramids Stay Standing for Thousands of Years?
- How Did Ancient Civilizations Count Without Numbers?
- Why Did the Roman Empire Fall?
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Categories: History · Leap Year,Calendar History,Time Measurement