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March 1 Leaping into March

PROMPT March 1st ▼

Yesterday was February 29th - Leap Day! The reason we have this monthly extension of our shortest month is to synchronize the Gregorian calendar with the solar year – without it, we would lose six hours every year. In your entry today, write about the phenomenon of leap years and any facts you want to share. Here’s mine: People born on Leap Day are called Leaplings. Do you know any Leaplings? How did you spend the bonus hours of 2020? Did you make the most of them?

It felt like an extra day, this Saturday, February 29, 2020. But it really wasn't an extra day. February is still a short month even with the "leap" day. It is not my favorite month because the shorter calendar means my paycheck is always short on March 1. This might imply I'm paid by the hour, I'm not. But I am commissioned and when one has fewer hours in the month to sell or collect premiums, you make less money. And my expenses don't go down. The office rent is the same for the 29 days of February as it is for the 31 days of March and my staff is salaried, so I pay the same even though she worked fewer hours. I am so happy to leap into March with more productive days ahead.

To include a fact about the day, I went googling like probably most of you. The links found usually began with the Leaplings. Birthdays that fall on the fateful day, which made me question, what about wedding anniversaries? Who would be so stupid as to get married on a February 29? That led to this discovery:

Dating back to the 5th-century, there is an Irish legend that Saint Patrick was responsible for female empowerment through his acknowledgment of leap year proposals. According to the legend, Saint Brigid of Kildare asked Saint Patrick to allow women to propose to men. At first, Saint Patrick waffled and suggested women should only be allowed to propose every seven years. But after prodding by Saint Brigid, he agreed to the leap day tradition, allowing women to propose every four years on Leap Day. This little fact or tradition will make the upcoming St. Patrick's Day just a tiny bit richer, knowing St Paddy had women's backs.

So here I go taking the giant leap from February to March, a little concerned I may have taken on too many commitments in this month of March. From Winter into Spring energized by the beginnings of blossoms in my garden and the new rounds at 30Day Blogging and Pursue the Horizon.

February leaps
into March with extra day
to enjoy my life
         ~~jvg