A leap year occurs once every four years. But why then was 1904 a leap year, 1900 was not, and 2000 was again?
The Summer Olympics are held in a leap year - where did this order come from? And why do we need any special “extended” years at all? How are they different from ordinary ones? Let's figure it out.
Who introduced leap years into the calendar?
Ancient Roman astronomers were well aware that a year on Earth lasts 365 days and a few more hours. Because of this, the calendar year, which then consisted of a constant number of days, did not coincide with the astronomical one. The excess hours gradually accumulated, turning into days. Calendar dates gradually shifted and deviated from natural phenomena- for example, the equinoxes. A group of astronomers led by Sosigenes, who worked at the court of Julius Caesar, proposed adjusting the calendar. According to the new chronology, every fourth year was extended by one day. This year began to be called bis sextus, which in Latin means "second sixth" . In Russian this word was transformed into "leap" - that’s what we call it to this day.
By order of Julius Caesar, a new calendar was introduced starting in 45 BC. After the death of the emperor, there was a glitch in the calculation of leap years, and the countdown began again from the 8th year of our era. That's why even years are leap years today.
It was decided to add a day to the last, shortest month of the year, which already “didn’t have enough days.” IN Ancient Rome New Year was celebrated on March 1, so the extra 366th day was added to February. New calendar began to be called “Julian” in honor of Caesar. By the way, the Orthodox and some other churches still live according to the Julian calendar - this is a tribute to tradition.
And again the calendar changes
Astronomical observations continued, methods became more and more accurate. Over time, astrologers realized that the duration of the earth's year is not 365 days and 6 hours, but slightly less. (We now know that a year lasts 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds.) 
The use of the Julian calendar led to the fact that the calendar began to lag behind the real flow of time. Astronomers have noticed that the spring equinox occurs much earlier than the day allotted to it according to the calendar, that is, March 21. There was a need to adjust the calendar, which was done by decree of Pope Gregory XIII in 1582.
To compensate for the discrepancy, they decided to set leap years according to a new rule. It was necessary to reduce their number, which was done. From that moment on, all years that are divisible by four are still considered leap years, except those that are divisible by 100. For even more accurate calculation, years that are divisible by 400 are still considered leap years.
That is why 1900 (like 1700 and 1800) was not a leap year, but 2000 (like 1600) was.
The new calendar was named Gregorian in honor of the Pope - all countries of the world currently live according to it. The Julian calendar is used by a number of Christian churches– including the Russian Orthodox Church.
Rule for determining leap years
So, leap years are determined by simple algorithm:
If a year is divisible by 4 but not divisible by 100, it is a leap year;
If a year is divisible by 100, it is not considered a leap year;
If a year is divisible by 100 and also divisible by 400, it is a leap year.
How is a leap year different from others?
Only one - it has 366 days, with an additional day assigned to February. Despite the fact that the year now begins on January 1, which means last month year - December, we still give extra days to February. He's the shortest - we'll feel sorry for him!
And let's rejoice for those who were born on February 29 in a leap year. These “lucky ones” celebrate their birthday once every four years, which makes this event more long-awaited and desirable than for other people.
What happens during a leap year?
Leap years were chosen to host the main sporting event of humanity - the Olympics. Now in leap years only summer games, and winter ones - with a shift of two years. The sports community adheres to ancient tradition, which was established by the first Olympians - the ancient Greeks. 
It was they who decided that such a grandiose event should not happen too often - once every four years. The four-year cycle coincided with the alternation of leap years, so the modern Olympics began to be held in leap years.
For most people who believe in omens, it is very important to know in advance all the most important information about some time period. In particular, this concerns the leap year of a particular year, since some warnings are associated with this situation. According to popular interpretation, it is during periods lasting not the usual 365, but 366 days, that one should be wary of various cataclysms, conflicts, wars and other misfortunes. This is probably why the question of whether 2019 is a leap year or not is considered so relevant.
Leap year concept
All who truly believe in destructive power extra day in February, I can breathe a sigh of relief - 2019 consists of a standard number of days (365).
For the first time, the very concept of a leap year appeared in the time of Julius Caesar. Great ruler ordered that best astronomers At that time, the concept of the astronomical year was introduced and the number of days of which it consists was determined. After some time, the result was ready - a year is formed from 365 days and 6 additional hours. It turns out that each subsequent period had to move forward 6 hours. To solve the problem of aligning time frames, it was decided to introduce the concept of a leap year - a period of time in which there will be 1 day more than in a standard year. Caesar liked this idea, and since then every fourth year has been considered “special.”
Since the last leap year was 2016, next time the same fate awaits 2020. On the one hand, there can be nothing wrong with an additional 24 hours a year, but on the other hand, it is impossible to imagine such a vast number of superstitions invented in empty space. What lies behind all these instructions and is it worth believing in them at all?
Signs about leap year
If we consider the situation with logical point vision, the noted time period differs from the typical one only by 1 additional day. Among the people, such an outcome is highly regarded. important. Previously, February 29 was called Kasyan's day - an unlucky day when various troubles happen to a person.
According to folk beliefs, in a leap year you can’t start something new, because you still won’t achieve the desired result. Any novelty in a given year becomes the cause of a negative outcome and adversity. In fact, during the 366-day period, you should not plan a wedding, move, change jobs, or even have pets. It is recommended to postpone this entire list of tasks until next year. Also, at this hour you should not start construction, go on long trips and cut your hair during pregnancy until the birth itself.
In fact, everyone decides for themselves whether to believe in the listed warnings. You shouldn’t take all the signs too seriously either, otherwise you’ll have to do it every 4 years own life"walk on tiptoe." It’s just that earlier, when people could not explain the cause of some cataclysm or misfortune, the leap year became the main culprit of all troubles. In reality, disasters happen all the time, don't they?
Leap year wedding
A separate topic for discussion is the ban on marriage in a year consisting of 366 days. According to signs, such a union will 100% turn out to be unhappy and will definitely fall apart in the future. For this reason, most modern couples who decide to legalize their relationship delay this process until a more standard time period.
In fact, such a sign is too contradictory. IN old times Leap year was called the period of brides. According to ancient custom, the girls had the opportunity to woo the guy they liked, and the most interesting thing was that he couldn’t refuse. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the most inconspicuous brides chose as their grooms the most wealthy and prominent gentlemen, with whom they were usually secretly in love. It was precisely because of the couple’s inequality that such unions very soon fell apart, since there was no happiness at all. Therefore, the belief arose that getting married during a leap year is a bad idea.
The clergy conducting the wedding ceremony insist that the well-being of the couple depends entirely on the newlyweds themselves. And neither Which a leap year or a wedding at the wrong time cannot disturb the harmony between the future spouses, if such exists.
What should we expect from 2019?
Since the period being described is not a leap year, even those who firmly believe in the signs associated with this time can breathe a sigh of relief - the coming 12 months will pass in relative calm. According to astrologers, in 2019 it will be possible to settle many conflict situations, finally say goodbye to the crisis, and establish new contacts. This is connected with the mistress of the described period – the Yellow Pig, who is a symbol of friendliness, joy, tranquility and prudence.
In the love sphere, 2019 is considered an excellent period for starting a family, having a child, establishing a romantic connection or restoring friendships. Many lonely hearts will have a chance to find their destiny and find long-awaited happiness.
The stars indicate that 2019 is considered an ideal period to start your own business or advance in career ladder. The pig symbolizes faith in own strength, determination and endless hope for the best. Those who demonstrate the noted qualities will be guaranteed good luck for the whole year. Many will be able to realize their own potential and reach their intended peaks. True, it should be understood that sooner or later the time will come when you will have to answer for every decision made, whatever it may be.
2019 will not be significantly different from 2018 or 2017, because it has a standard number of days - 365. Simply put, in the period described, you can safely get married, move to a new place of residence, travel, host non-standard solutions and don't be afraid bad influence from outside. A small clarification - every year, whether it is a leap year or not, brings with it not only joy and carefreeness, but also life’s adversities and difficulties. To cope with any adversity, it is enough to always remain in a good mood and illuminate this world with a radiant smile.
Every 4 years we are faced with the fact that in February instead of the standard 28 days there are 29. A leap year is coming. This is due to the fact that the Earth rotates around the sun slightly faster than 365 days. To compensate for this phenomenon, a leap year was invented and put into practice, which lasts 366 days by adding an extra day in February.
When is a leap year, how to determine
The determination methods are quite simple and accessible to anyone. They do not require any serious mathematical preparation:
2. A leap year is always divisible by 4 without a remainder. Let's assume that 2012 is a leap year, since 2012:4=503.0, that is, the remainder of the division is 0.
3. You can look at the calendar for the year under study and compare it with the next one by days of the week. If the interval is 1 day, then the analyzed time interval is not a leap year - its length is 52 weeks and 1 day; if the interval is 2 days, then, accordingly, it is a leap year.
Are there any exceptions?
Yes, they do exist. To more fully harmonize the astronomical and calendar years, it was decided not to make leap years those years that end in 00, that is, the beginning of each century. But there is an exception here: every 4th of these years (ending in 00 - 400, 800, 1200, 1600, 2000, 2400, ...) are also leap years.
List of leap years
1764, 1768, 1772, 1776, 1780, 1784, 1788, 1792, 1796, 1804, 1808, 1812, 1816, 1820, 1824, 1828, 1832, 1836, 1840, 1844, 1848, 1852, 1856, 1860, 1864, 1868, 1872, 1876, 1880, 1884, 1888, 1892, 1896, 1904, 1908, 1912, 1916, 1920, 1924, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1940, 1944, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, 2024, 2028, 2032,2036, 2040, 2044, 2048, 2052, 2056, 2060, 2064, 2068, 2072, 2080, 2084, 2088, 2092, 2096, 2104, 2108, 2112, 2116, 2120, 2124, 2128, 2132
History of appearance
The very concept of a leap year appeared in those days when scientists proved that in astronomical year 365 days and approximately 5 hours and 49 minutes. This happened under Julius Caesar, who was known as a fairly progressive ruler. Since then, 1 extra day has been added to the calendar.
The ancient Romans counted the days until the beginning of the next month, and we count the days elapsed from the beginning of the current month. Suppose February 22 is the 22nd day of the month for us, but for the Romans it was the 6th day before the start of the new month. In a leap year there were two 6th days in February. “Second sixth” is from Latin and gives the name “leap year”.
The next stage was Julian calendar, where every third year became a leap year. By the way, these days holidays are determined by it. We use Gregorian calendar, and in our country every fourth year is a leap year.
Superstitions and fears
People generally believe that leap years are very unfortunate, and sometimes tragic. This year was also considered bad by the Romans, who, because of the “sixth day,” increased their fast by one day (lasted until the beginning of March). The mysticism was added by the odious holiday “Kasyanov’s Day”, which was already celebrated by our ancestors. It was set for February 29.
It is believed that on Leap Day it is extremely undesirable to radically change your usual way of life: get married, move, change jobs, have children, especially your first child.
A leap year, or it is also called the word “leap year,” causes many rumors and superstitions, which mainly boil down to the fact that this year is unhappy and promises only one thing. negative events. In this article we will talk about how fair these opinions are.
A little history
The word "leap year" came to us from Latin language, that is, it ancient origin, and its literal translation sounds like “second sixth”.
According to the Julian month, the Earth goes through its circle in 365.25 days, and every year the day shifted by 6 hours. Such an error could easily confuse ancient men, and to avoid this, it was decided that after every fourth year in annual circle One more day will be added. Accordingly, this year will include 366 days, and they will be added in the shortest month - February, it will consist of 29 days. To distinguish it, it was called a leapfrog.
On Ancient Rus', in turn, there were many legends about the occurrence of leap days, and each of them, even then, was perceived as necessarily unlucky. Legends about the arrival of the new calendar and the leap year in Rus' were also reflected in the Saints. So, February 29 is dedicated to the memory of St. Kasyan, and people call it Kasyan’s Day. Several legends and apocrypha (stories that are not recognized by the church as confirmed and consistent with what we know about God) are dedicated to this day. But it sheds light on the origin bad reputation Leap Years
According to this legend, Kasyan appears to the common people not as a man, but as an angel, and a fallen one, who was once seduced by Satan, as a result of which he fell away from God. However, later he realized how wrong he was, repented and prayed to the Creator for mercy. Taking pity on the traitor, God, before accepting him back, assigned His angel to him. The celestial being shackled Kasyan and, by order from above, beat him on the forehead with a metal hammer to bring him to his senses for 3 years, and on the fourth he freed him.
The second legend about Kasyan
According to the second legend Kasyan is a person, and Kasyanov’s day is the date of his name day. However, according to the legend, that man systematically became deathly drunk for three years in a row, but on the fourth he came to his senses, repented, gave up his addiction, turned to repentance and became a saint - he acquired the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the people believed, it was appropriate for him to celebrate his day so rarely - only on February 29.
The third legend about Kasyan
This legend is dedicated to Saint Kasyan, who travels across the earth, and Nicholas the Wonderworker, well known to Christians. And then they meet a man along the way. He asked them for help because his cart was stuck in the mud. Kasyan responded to this that he was careful not to spoil his clean robe, but Nikolai, not afraid of the dirt, immediately helped. The saints returned to the Kingdom of God, and the Creator noticed that Nicholas’s robe was dirty and asked him what was causing it.
The saint told him what happened on the way. Then the Lord noticed that Kasyan’s clothes were clean and asked the question: were they really traveling together? Kasyan replied that he was afraid to stain his clothes. God realized that Kosmas was being cunning, and arranged it in such a way that his name day is celebrated once every 4 years. And Nikolai’s name day for his meekness is twice in 365 days.
Anyway , whatever it may be, the leap year was recognized as bad. Therefore, the superstitious Russian people tried to somehow protect themselves from this day.
- I tried to finish all important things before the 29th of February.
- Some did not dare leave the house.
- On February 29, if the sun came out, it was called Kasyan's Eye or Kasyanov's Eye. Then they tried not to get under the sun, so that the saint wouldn’t jinx them! And he did not bring suffering and illness to the poor man.
As in ancient times, in today's world we often come across superstitions and signs that are not with the best side determine leap years of the 21st century. We will list some of them:
Why is a leap year considered bad?
Similar attitude It’s quite understandable: the appearance of the 29th day in February characterizes the whole year as being different from others, and psychologically sets it apart from others. This can be important for people who are unsure of their abilities. It will be much easier for him, citing this special period, to refuse something new than to expend energy for self-development or starting some kind of business.
For the same reason, it will be easier not to get pregnant, so as not to give birth later, because there is an increased fear that the birth will be difficult, the baby may be born sick. And if not, then suddenly his life will turn out to be joyless or difficult.
Our inventive people see and the threat in the very name of the leap, saying that it “mows down” people, in other words, takes them away, leads to death. Therefore, the holiday is celebrated with caution (or, conversely, on a special scale - you never know who will die...). This is a very common belief that tries to creep into statistics. It is becoming accepted that the mortality rate increases every 4th year. At the same time, these data are in no way confirmed by the statistics themselves.
You can’t pick mushrooms either, much less eat them or sell them to people. No, not so as not to be poisoned, but so that “bad soil” does not bring “anything bad” to a person.
It is believed that the leap year entails natural disasters and all kinds of disasters: drought, floods, fires.
Which years are leap years?
In the last century, as well as in the current one, such calendar periods also caused horror. A list of them can be seen in the image or found on the Internet. Also, the year 2000, the same millennium, in turn was a leap year, opening the whole millennium.
Despite the fact that with the development of technology, information has become more accessible and it is possible to learn more and expand one’s horizons, getting rid of primitive fears, many continue to anxiously await the leap, internally preparing themselves for problems and troubles, and when they come (if they come), it is perceived as doomed: well, it’s a leap year... An extra day in February. Deadly!
There are special calendars that indicate exactly when the leap year occurs. It is enough to look carefully at the table and find (or not find) the current figures there. It is enough to know at least one leap year, after which you can calculate them yourself using elementary arithmetic. Let's say you're interested in leap years in the 21st century. Find the calendar and view it. Having learned that 2016 is a leap year, it is easy to understand that the next year will come in 2020.
If you trust statistics, a very small number of all disasters and troubles occur on leap years. The superstitions that exist today can be interpreted by the fact that people who closely followed the misfortunes and troubles that occurred during leap years gave an exaggerated meaning to what was happening only because of the unflattering reputation of the latter. I would like to wish people who highly trust superstitions about leap years to pay more attention to positive events and changes. And then, perhaps, a list of good and joyful signs will be collected that will restore the reputation of the Leap Years.
sharky:
03/25/2013 at 16:04
Why on earth is 1900 not a leap year? A leap year occurs every 4 years, i.e. If it is divisible by 4, it is a leap year. And no more divisions by 100 or 400 are needed.
It’s normal to ask questions, but before you assert anything, study the hardware. The Earth revolves around the sun in 365 days 5 hours 48 minutes 46 seconds. As you can see, the remainder is not exactly 6 hours, but 11 minutes 14 seconds less. This means that by making a leap year we add extra time. Somewhere over 128 years, extra days accumulate. Therefore, every 128 years in one of the 4-year cycles, there is no need to make a leap year in order to get rid of these extra days. But to simplify things, every 100th year is not a leap year. Is the idea clear? Fine. What then should we do next, since an extra day is added every 128 years, and we cut it off every 100 years? Yes, we cut off more than we should, and this needs to be returned at some point.
If the first paragraph is clear and still interesting, then read on, but it will be more difficult.
So, in 100 years, 100/128 = 25/32 days of excess time accumulates (that’s 18 hours 45 minutes). We do not make a leap year, that is, we subtract one day: we get 25/32-32/32 = -7/32 days (that’s 5 hours 15 minutes), that is, we subtract the excess. After four cycles of 100 years (after 400 years), we will subtract an extra 4 * (-7/32) = -28/32 days (this is minus 21 hours). For the 400th year we make a leap year, that is, we add a day (24 hours): -28/32+32/32=4/32=1/8 (that’s 3 hours).
We make every 4th year a leap year, but at the same time every 100th year is not a leap year, and at the same time every 400th year is a leap year, but still every 400 years an extra 3 hours are added. After 8 cycles of 400 years, that is, after 3200 years, an extra 24 hours will accumulate, that is, one day. Then another mandatory condition is added: every 3200th year should not be a leap year. 3200 years can be rounded up to 4000, but then you will again have to play with added or trimmed days.
3200 years have not passed, so this condition, if it is made this way, is not yet talked about. But 400 years have already passed since the approval of the Gregorian calendar.
Years that are multiples of 400 are always leap years (for now), other years that are multiples of 100 are not leap years, and other years that are multiples of 4 are leap years.
The calculation I gave shows that when current state An error in one day can accumulate over 3200 years, but here’s what Wikipedia writes about it:
“An error of one day compared to the year of the equinoxes in Gregorian calendar will accumulate in approximately 10,000 years (in Julian - approximately 128 years). A frequently encountered estimate, leading to a value of the order of 3000 years, is obtained if one does not take into account that the number of days in the tropical year changes over time and, in addition, the relationship between the lengths of the seasons changes.” From the same Wikipedia, the formula for the length of a year in days with fractions paints a good picture:
365,2425=365+0,25-0,01+0,0025=265+1/4-1/100+1/400
The year 1900 was not a leap year, but 2000 was, and special, because such a leap year happens once every 400 years.
