Leap years are special years that have an extra day added to them - February 29th. This extra day has been celebrated in different ways across the world. Some communities use this day to celebrate life, while others use it to celebrate death. Here are five unique Leap Day traditions that you can observe, depending on where you are in the world:
1. Celebrate Bachelor's Day
Image source The Homestead Blog
In parts of Western Europe Bachelor's Day is celebrated on February 29th. This tradition dates back centuries when women could only propose to men on this day. In Nordic countries like Finland, Iceland, and Denmark, women continue to lead the proposals.
2. Drink soup in Taiwan
Image source Unsplash
There's a superstition in Taiwan that more senior citizens pass away during leap years than any other year. To promote good health, daughters prepare hearty pig trotter noodles for their parents around this time.
3. Crash a birthday bash in Texas
The Anthony Texas Festival is a popular celebration for leap day babies held once every four years. Leaplings can RSVP for a special birthday dinner, while visitors from around the world can buy tickets for the rest of the festival.
4. Indulge in some satire - in French
La Bougie du Sapeur is a satirical newspaper launched in 1980 that is published only every leap year. This paper appears on newsstands across countries like France, Luxembourg, and Belgium. It features jokes, puns, fun interviews, and commentary on all that's gone down in the past four years.
5. Savour a feast on Saint Oswald Day- In England
Leap Day has evolved into a celebration of St Oswald. The saint, who's known for revolutionizing the Anglo-Saxon Church and spreading the Christian faith through Northumbria, passed away on February 29th, 992. As a way of commemorating his life and work, feasts are held, and Catholics host leap day balls and raise funds for their churches.
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