Ready for a leap year, Washington? Here’s what that means and where to celebrate Leap Day
If you were hoping for an extra day before your rent is due or just a bonus day to get out and enjoy an extra day of winter, you’re in luck. That’s because every four years, an extra day comes at the end of February, making the month 29 days long instead of its typical 28 days.
It’s called a leap year. But why do we add on an extra day every four years, and why do we call it a leap year?
Here’s what to know.
What is a leap year?
As mentioned above, a leap year is when we add one more day to the end of February.
We do this because the Earth’s rotation around the sun isn’t exactly 365 days. It actually takes 365.25 days — or 365 days and 6 hours — to orbit around the sun, according to NASA.
Because of the additional 6 hours each year, without adding an extra day, the hours would slowly accumulate. In turn, this would gradually shift our seasons over time at a rate of six hours per year.
According to the Smithsonian Institute, within 700 years, summers in the Northern Hemisphere would start in December, and winters would begin in June. The shifting seasons wouldn’t necessarily be devastating — humans lived for thousands of years before the invention of the leap year in 45 BCE — but it would cause a slow shift in the monthly timing of many things, such as crop farming and rainy or dry seasons.
Adding an extra day in February every four years helps keep our calendar on track with Earth’s solar orbit, meaning our months stay tied to the typical seasons we associate them with.
Interestingly, a full day also isn’t 24 hours — it’s 23.26 hours, according to the Smithsonian Institute. That means that each time we add a leap year, we make the calendar 44 minutes longer every four years.
To combat that problem, we skip leap years on years that are divisible by 100 and not divisible by 400. That means we had a leap year in 2000, but we skipped leap years in 1800 and 1900 and will skip it again in 2100.
Doing so ensures that our calendar doesn’t slowly drift because of our leap year adjustment.
Who created leap years created?
Humans have been observing leap years for almost 2,000 years. The idea came from Roman emperor Julius Caesar.
The Romans originally had a 355-day calendar, according to Britannica, so that they could keep their significant festivals around the same season every year. They’d add an extra 22- or 23-day month every two years to align the months and seasons.
But in 45 BCE, Caesar decided to simplify things by adding days to the calendar, creating the 365-day calendar structure we know today. In doing so, he also created leap years to offset the drifting seasons.
What does a leap year mean in WA?
While the addition of leap years almost 2,000 years ago was an ingenious idea, its year-to-year impact isn’t all that significant.
You’ll get an extra day to pay any start-of-month bills or rent, and those with a birthday on Feb. 29 will actually get to celebrate on their birth date rather than on March 1. And no — someone born on Feb. 29 doesn’t only age up every four years; the law does not care for the quirks of the calendar.
Since the meteorological winter is from December through February, this year and every leap year, you’ll technically get one extra day of winter.
The biggest change for many if leap years weren’t invented is that we’d currently technically be in early July 2025. That doesn’t mean it would be summer outside — we’d just be experiencing the current February-like temperatures in the middle of summer, and our Christmases would be spent in the sun rather than bundled up indoors.
Where can I celebrate Leap Day?
If you’re looking to get out and enjoy the extra day this year in Washington, there are plenty of Leap Day events scheduled. Here are some events for statewide Leap Day events and celebrations.
Western Washington:
▪ Leaping into Our Public Lands: A Leap Year Celebration
Patagonia is hosting a free educational event on public lands in the Puget Sound area and beyond. The event will feature trivia, refreshments and giveaways including Patagonia gear.
- Where: Patagonia, 2100 1st Ave, Seattle
- When: Thursday, Feb. 29 at 7 p.m.
▪ Leap Year Wine & Food Fest @ J. Bookwalter
J. Bookwalter Tasting Studio in Woodinville is hosting a wine tasting festival that will feature multiple wine stations paired with bites, as well as live music. Tickets to this event are $50 on Eventbrite and each ticket includes 10 drink tickets, cheese and chocolate bites and three paired bites of food.
- Where: J. Bookwalter Tasting Studio Woodinville, 14810 Northeast 145th Street #Bldg. B, Woodinville
- When: Thursday, Feb. 29 at 6 p.m.
▪ Leap Year 4-miler
Race Roster is holding a 4-mile race, and although it is not scheduled exactly on Leap Day, it is an event that only happens every four years to celebrate the leap year. Registration is $35 per person and closes on Feb. 22.
- Where: Roegner Park, 601 Oravets Rd SE, Auburn
- When: Saturday, Feb. 24 at 9:30 a.m.
▪ Leap Day- Kirkland- Eastside Corridor Trail and Kirkland
If you’re in Kirkland and would like to get out and explore more of the area, join this group of walkers that have planned to meetup and explore the new Feriton Spur park on the Google Campus along the EastRail Trail.
- Where: Metropolitan Market Kirkland, 10611 NE 68th St., Kirkland
- When: Thursday, Feb. 29 at 10 a.m.
Northwestern Washington
▪ Leap Day Show with Shady Groove
Boundary Bay Brewery is hosting a 21 and over event that will feature live music from Shady Groove, a band from Bellingham. Food and drinks will be available for purchase before the show begins and everyone celebrating a birthday is encouraged to join in the celebrations.
- Where: Boundary Bay Brewery, 1107 Railroad Ave, Bellingham
- When: Thursday, Feb. 29 at 6 p.m.
Eastern Washington
▪ Leap Year Event 2024
Fire House Pet Shop is hosting a family friendly event filled with special sales and games that could win you in-store prizes.
- Where: Fire House Pet Shop, 17 S Wenatchee Ave, Wenatchee
- When: Thursday, Feb. 29 at 9:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
This story was originally published February 16, 2024 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Ready for a leap year, Washington? Here’s what that means and where to celebrate Leap Day."
