Hereâs how you can spend your leap day
By Craig Allan, Staff Writer
This month comes with one of the rarest events that will happen. Occurring only three times this decade is a day where we look at our calendars and proclaim: âhmm, something looks different.â Thatâs because this year is the Leap Year, where one extra day is added onto February. Seeing as this only happens every four years, it should be something to celebrate! But, how does one celebrate Leap Day? What are the traditions? Is it a free day? Is it a send-off to The Purge⌠where all crime is legal for the whole day? Have no fear, as nothing like that is happening on this day (at least that I know of). There are better ways to celebrate the extra day we have on this earth. This article will give you some ideas on how to celebrate your Leap Day right.
Propose to your fella
Have that boyfriendâthe one who just wonât put a ring on it? Well girlfriend, Leap Day is your day. As custom with Irish traditions, on February 29 the rules can be reversed, and a woman can propose marriage to a man. It is known as Bachelorâs Day. For those of you who are not in a relationship, this may be a good time to start, as for the women this is also the day where you can ask a man to dance with you. If the man refuses, then he must make up for his denial with a gift of a silk robe, or a pair of gloves. So, ladies, get ready to proposeâeven if he says no, you still get a nice pair of gloves out of it.
Drink Up on this Cocktail
If a pair of gloves from your non-reciprocated lover doesnât dull a rejected proposal, maybe consider a drink inspired by the day. The Leap Day cocktail consists of 2/3 gin, 1/6 orange liqueur, 1/6 sweet vermouth, and a bit of lemon juice. It was created by bartender Harry Craddock at the famous Savoy Hotel in London in 1928 for the celebration of Leap Day. What better tradition is there than an excuse to drink!
Travel to the Leap Year Capital of the World
If you are an avid traveller, then you may want to experience the event that only happens every four years. In the town of Anthonyâon the New Mexico-Texas borderâLeap Day is celebrated so passionately that Anthony has earned the title of Leap Year Capital of the World. It started in 1988 when Mary Ann Brown and Birdie Lewis went to the townâs Chamber of Commerce with a proposal to celebrate Leap Day. The two shared a birthday on the unique and rare day so they figured they should make the day a giant birthday bash. The city agreed, and now it is a four-day-long party celebrated with music and the love of one extra day. They additionally made a Worldwide Leap Year Birthday Club. So, if you were born on Leap Dayâespecially if you were born on Leap Day and are named Anthonyâthis location is the vacation destination for you.
Doom and Gloom
For many cultures, Leap Day and the whole Leap Year are a cause for concern. Many cultures view the year as bad luck. For example, there will likely be fewer marriages in Greece this year because Leap Years are viewed in Greek culture as bad luck for a new marriage. In Scotland, farmers would worry about their sheep during Leap Years as they are seen as bad years for the herd. The saying âleap year was never a good sheep yearâ was spawned due to this idea. In Taiwan, the year is considered unlucky because of a superstition that parents are more likely to die in these years.
With so many antiquated traditions associated with the Leap Year, maybe itâs time for some new traditions. Maybe Leap Day should be a day of celebration. A celebration that we get one more day to fix a problem. Or, we could make it a day to forgive someone who has brought us problems? We could also use it as a day to reflect on our last four years and set it as a mark to review our lives and better them for the next Leap Year. Whatever you do, donât watch the movie Leap Year, as that movie may be the worst thing to be influenced by for the day.
