2016 is a leap year. This is not such a rare occurrence, because every 4 years in February there is a 29th day. There are many superstitions associated with this year, but is it really so dangerous? Let's try to figure it out if leap years are different. The 21st century list for leap years follows the same principle as before.

Leap year definition

We all know that there are 365 days in a year, but sometimes there are 366. What does it depend on? First of all, it should be noted that we live according to the Gregorian calendar, in which ordinary years are those that contain 365 days, and leap years are those that are one day more, respectively, 366 days. This is because periodically in February there are not 28, but 29 days. This happens once every four years, and this very year is usually called a leap year.

How to determine a leap year

Those years, the numbers of which can be divided without a remainder by the number 4, are classified as those that are called leap years. A list of them can be found in this article. Let's say the current year is 2016, if we divide it by 4, then we get a number without a remainder as a result of division. Accordingly, this leap year. In a normal year, there are 52 weeks and 1 day. Each subsequent year is shifted by one day in relation to the days of the week. After a leap year, the shift occurs immediately by 2 days.

It is counted from the first day of the spring equinox to the beginning of the next. This period, just, does not have exactly 365 days, which are indicated in the calendar, but somewhat more.

Exception

The exception is the zero years of centuries, that is, those at the end of which there are two zeros. But if such a year number can be divided without a remainder by 400, then it is also considered a leap year.

If we take into account that there are not exactly six hours extra in a year, then the missing minutes also affect the calculation of time. It was calculated that for this reason, in 128 years, one extra day will run in this way. In this regard, it was decided that not every fourth year be considered a leap year, but to exclude from this rule those years that are a multiple of 100, except for those that are divisible by 400.

The history of the leap year

To be more precise, according to the Egyptian solar calendar introduced by Julius Caesar, there are not exactly 365 days in a year, but 365.25, that is, plus another quarter of a day. The extra quarter of the day in this case is 5 hours 48 minutes and 45 seconds, which are rounded up to 6 hours, which is the fourth part of the day. But adding such a small unit of time every year is not practical.

In four years, a quarter of the day turns into a full day, which are added to the year. So February, which has fewer days than normal months, adds an extra day - and only in a leap year does it have February 29th.

Leap years: a list of years of the past and the 21st century. Example:

It was decided to adjust the calendar year in accordance with the astronomical one - this was done so that the seasons always come on the same day. Otherwise, the boundaries would shift over time.

From the Julian calendar, we switched to the Gregorian, which differs from the previous one in that a leap year occurs once every four years, and according to the Julian - once every three years. Russian Orthodox Church and still lives according to the old style. It is 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar. Hence the celebration of dates in the old and new style. So, Catholics celebrate Christmas according to the old style - December 25, and in Russia according to the Gregorian calendar - January 7.

Where did the fear of a leap year come from?

The word "leap year" comes from the Latin phrase "bis sextus", which translates as "the second sixth".

Most people associate a leap year with something bad. All these superstitions have gone since ancient rome. IN modern world days are counted from the beginning of the month, but in ancient times it was different. They counted the days that remained until the beginning of the next month. Suppose, if we say February 24, then the ancient Romans in this case used the expression "the sixth day before the beginning of March."

When there was a leap year, an extra day appeared between the numbers of February 24 and 25. That is, in a normal year, there were 5 days left until March 1, and already 6 in a leap year, which is why the expression “second sixth” went.

With the advent of March, the fast ended, which lasted five days, if you start from February 24, but when you add an extra day, the fast already lasted, respectively, 1 day longer. Therefore, they considered such a year to be bad - hence the superstition about the unluckyness of leap years.

In addition, superstition came from the fact that only in a leap year is Kasyanov's Day celebrated, which falls on February 29th. This holiday is considered mystical. In this regard, for a long time people have been trying not to do big things in such years, not to get married, not to have children, and so on. Despite the simplicity of the algorithm for determining a leap year, some may wonder: "What years are leap years?".

Leap years of the 19th century: a list

1804, 1808, 1812, 1816, 1820, 1824, 1828, 1832, 1836, 1840, 1844, 1848, 1852, 1856, 1860, 1864, 1868, 1872, 1876, 1880, 1884, 1888, 1892, 1896.

Leap years of the 20th century: their list is as follows:

1904, 1908, 1912, 1916, 1920, 1924, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1940, 1944, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996

What are leap years? The list of years of the current century will be constructed similarly to the previous ones. Let's get to know him. Leap years (list) of the 21st century will be calculated in the same way. That is, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, etc.

Signs associated with a leap year

This year, it is believed, it is impossible to change the familiar environment. This can be understood as moving to a new place of residence, looking for a new job.

It was believed that marriages entered into this year could not bring happiness, and it was not recommended to hold weddings.

It is also impossible to do anything, start new business. This includes starting a business, building a house.

Let's answer the question of what years are leap years? List of 19th, 20th and 21st centuries:

It is better to postpone long trips and travel.

You can't celebrate a child's first tooth.

From ancient times, such years were considered dangerous, bringing many deaths, diseases, wars and crop failures. People, especially superstitious ones, fear the approach of such a year, having already prepared in advance for the worst. But are they really that dangerous?

Opinion on established superstition

The Church does not see anything wrong with these years, explaining such a phenomenon as a leap year, just by changes in the calendar that were once made. Based on statistics, such years are no different from ordinary ones. Even if we take the question of marriage in a leap year, which prophesies a short life in marriage, then the number of divorces of "leap marriages" is nothing more than among those couples who got married in ordinary years.

sharky:
03/25/2013 at 16:04

and why is 1900 not a leap year? A leap year occurs every 4 years, i.e. Divisible by 4, it's a leap year. And no more divisions by 100 or 400.

Asking questions is normal, but before you say something, study the materiel. The earth revolves around the sun in 365 days 5 hours 48 minutes 46 seconds. As you can see, the rest is not exactly 6 hours, but 11 minutes 14 seconds less. This means that by making a leap year we add extra time. Somewhere in 128 years, extra days accumulate. Therefore, every 128 years in one of the 4-year cycles, a leap year is not necessary to get rid of these extra days. But to simplify, a leap year is not made every 100th year. Is the idea clear? Fine. But how then to proceed, because an extra day is added every 128 years, and we cut it every 100 years? Yes, we cut off more than it should be, and this must be returned sometime.

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 accumulate (this is 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 (this is 5 hours and 15 minutes), that is, we subtract the excess. After four cycles of 100 years each (after 400 years) we will subtract an extra 4*(-7/32)=-28/32 days (this is minus 21 hours). On the 400th year, we make a leap year, that is, we add a day (24 hours): -28/32+32/32=4/32=1/8 (this is 3 hours).
We make every 4 years a leap year, but at the same time every 100 years is not a leap year and at the same time every 400 years 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 one more obligatory condition is added: every 3200th year should not be a leap year. 3200 years can be rounded up to 4000, but then again you have to play with added or truncated days.
3200 years have not passed, so this condition, if it is made so, is not yet spoken of. But 400 years have already passed since the approval of the Gregorian calendar.
Years divisible by 400 are always leap years (for now), other years divisible by 100 are not leap years, other years divisible by 4 are leap years.

My calculation shows that in the current state, an error of one day accumulates over 3200 years, but this is what Wikipedia writes about this:
“An error of one day compared to the year of the equinoxes in the Gregorian calendar will accumulate in about 10,000 years (in the Julian - in about 128 years). A frequently encountered estimate, leading to a value of the order of 3000 years, is obtained if we do not take into account that the number of days in a tropical year changes with time and, in addition, the ratio between the lengths of the seasons changes. From the same Wikipedia, the formula for the length of the 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.

2016 is a leap year with 366 days instead of the usual 365. Leap year has been proposed to keep the calendars in sync. Did you know that not every 4th year is a leap year?Why is a leap year considered unlucky, and what signs are associated with it?Here are a few facts you may not have known about the leap year.

What does leap year mean?

1 . A leap year is a year that has 366 days instead of 365 as usual. An extra day in a leap year is added in February - February 29 (leap day).

The extra day in a leap year is necessary because it takes a little over 365 days to complete one revolution around the Sun, to be exact. 365 days, 5 hours, 48 ​​minutes and 46 seconds.

Humans once followed a calendar of 355 days with an extra month of 22 days every two years. But in 45 B.C. Julius Caesar, together with the astronomer Sosigenes, decided to simplify the situation, and the Julian 365-day calendar was developed with an extra day every 4 years to compensate for the extra hours.

This day was added in February as it was once the last month in the Roman calendar.

2 . This system was supplemented by Pope Gregory XIII (who introduced the Gregorian calendar), who coined the term "leap year" and declared that year divisible by 4 and divisible by 400 but not divisible by 100, is a leap year.

So according to the Gregorian calendar, 2000 was a leap year, but 1700, 1800 and 1900 were not.

What are leap years in the 20th and 21st centuries?

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, 2076, 2080, 2084, 2088, 2092, 2096

February 29 - leap day

3 . February 29 is considered the only day a woman can propose to a man. The tradition began in 5th century Ireland when Saint Brigid complained to Saint Patrick that women had to wait too long for a proposal from worshipers.

Then he gave women one day in a leap year - the last day in the shortest month, so that the fair sex could propose to a man.

According to legend, Brigitte immediately knelt down and proposed to Patrick, but he refused, kissing her on the cheek, and offered her a silk dress to soften the refusal.

4 . According to another version, this tradition appeared in Scotland, when Queen Margaret, at the age of 5, announced in 1288 that a woman can propose to any man she likes on February 29th.

She also made a rule that those who refused had to pay a fine in the form of a kiss, a silk dress, a pair of gloves, or money. To warn fans in advance, a woman was supposed to wear trousers or a red petticoat on the day of the proposal.

In Denmark, a man who refuses a woman's marriage proposal must provide her with 12 pairs of gloves, and in Finland, fabric for a skirt.

Leap year wedding

5 . One in five couples in Greece avoid getting married on a leap year, as it is believed that this brings bad luck.

In Italy, it is considered that in a leap year woman becomes unpredictable and at this time no need to plan important events. So, according to the Italian proverb "Anno bisesto, anno funesto". ("Leap year is a doomed year").

February 29

6 . The odds of being born on February 29 are 1 in 1461. Around the world, about 5 million people were born on a leap day.

7 . For centuries, astrologers believed that children born on a leap day have unusual talents, a unique personality, and even special powers. Among famous people born on February 29, one can name the poet Lord Byron, the composer Gioachino Rossini, the actress Irina Kupchenko.

8. In Hong Kong, the official birthday for those born on February 29th is March 1st in normal years, while in New Zealand it is February 28th. If you calculate the time correctly, then traveling from one country to another, you can celebrate longest birthday in the world.

9. The city of Anthony in Texas, USA is a self-proclaimed " leap year capital of the world". A festival is held here annually, where those who wish from all over the world, born on February 29, gather.

10. Record largest number generations born on a leap day, belongs to the Keogh family.

Peter Anthony Keogh was born February 29, 1940 in Ireland, his son Peter Eric was born February 29, 1964 in the UK, and his granddaughter Bethany Wealth was born February 29, 1996.

11. Karin Henriksen from Norway holds the world record having the most children on a leap day.

Her daughter Heidi was born on February 29, 1960, her son Olav on February 29, 1964, and her son Lief-Martin on February 29, 1968.

12. In the traditional Chinese, Jewish and ancient Indian calendar, not a leap day is added to the year, but a whole month. It is called the "intercalary month". It is believed that children born in a leap month are more difficult to raise. In addition, it is considered unlucky to start serious business in a leap year.

Leap year: signs and superstitions

Since ancient times, a leap year has always been considered difficult and bad for many undertakings. In popular belief, the leap year is associated with Saint Kasian, which was considered evil, envious, stingy, unmerciful and brought misfortune to people.

According to legend, Kasyan was a bright angel to whom God entrusted all plans and intentions. But then he went over to the side of the Devil, telling him that God intends to overthrow all satanic power from heaven.

For betrayal, God punished Kasyan, ordering him to be beaten on the forehead with a hammer for three years, and in the fourth year he was released to the ground, where he committed unkind deeds.

There are many signs associated with a leap year:

First, in a leap year can't start anything. This applies to important matters, business, major purchases, investments and construction.

Is it possible to get married or get married on a leap year?

A leap year is considered extremely unsuccessful for marriage. Since ancient times, it was believed that a wedding played on a leap year would lead to an unhappy marriage, divorce, infidelity, widowhood, or the marriage itself would be short-lived.

Such a superstition may be due to the fact that in a leap year, girls could woo any young man they liked who could not refuse an offer. Often such marriages were forced, and therefore family life was not set.

However, it is worth treating these signs wisely and understanding that everything depends on the spouses themselves and on how they build relationships. If you still planned a wedding, there are several ways to mitigate the "consequences":

Brides are advised to wear long wedding dress covering the knees to make the marriage durable.

Wedding dress and other wedding accessories not recommended to give to anyone.

The ring should be worn on the hand, not the glove., since wearing a ring on a glove will cause spouses to be frivolous about marriage

To protect the family from troubles and misfortunes, a coin was put in the shoes of the bride and groom.

What can not be done in a leap year?

・In a leap year do not carol at Christmas time because it is believed that you can lose your happiness. Also, according to a sign, a caroler who dresses in an animal or a monster can take on the personality of evil spirits.

· Pregnant women shouldn't cut their hair before giving birth. because the baby may be born unhealthy.

・In a leap year do not start building a bath which can lead to illness.

· Can't pick mushrooms, since it is believed that they all become poisonous.

In a leap year, you do not need to celebrate the appearance baby's first tooth. According to the sign, if you invite guests, your teeth will be bad.

· You can not change jobs or apartments. According to you, the new place will turn out to be bleak and restless.

If a child was born in a leap year, it must be baptize as soon as possible, and godparents to choose among blood relatives.

Older people should not buy things for the funeral because it can bring death closer.

· Can't get divorced because in the future you will not be able to find your happiness.

A leap year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars is a year with a duration of 366 days (1 day more than a normal year). In the Julian calendar, introduced on January 1, 45 BC, the astronomical year was considered equal to 365.25 days (or 365 days and 6 hours). Due to the 6-hour shift, every fourth year is considered a leap year and an extra day appears in it - February 29th.

In the Gregorian calendar used in most countries of the world, the tropical year is: 365 days 5 hours 48 minutes 46 seconds. The difference between the Julian and Gregorian years is 11 minutes and 14 seconds. For 128 years, an error of 1 day accumulates.

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Gregorian calendar

To accurately determine which years are leap years, you need to check whether the following conditions are met for them:

• The year number must be a multiple of 4 (i.e. divisible by 4 without a remainder: 1912, 1916, 1920, etc.);
• Years ending in two or three zeros are considered leap years if they are divisible by 400 (2000).

Historical reference

In some states, the Gregorian calendar was adopted immediately after its approval. Many countries did not introduce a new calendar until the 20th century. The transition was carried out in the following order:

• 1582 - France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Portugal, Scotland, Spain;
• 1583 - Austria, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland;
• 1584 - Czechoslovakia;
• 1587 - Hungary;
• 1700 - Denmark, Norway;
• 1752 - Canada, USA (east coast), Ireland, Great Britain and dominions;
• 1873 - Japan;
• 1875 - Egypt;
• 1912 - Albania, China;
• 1915 - Latvia, Lithuania;
• 1916 - Bulgaria;
• 1918 - Russia;
• 1919 - Romania, Yugoslavia;
• 1924 - Greece;
• 1927 - Türkiye;

XX and XXI centuries

In the twentieth century, 1900 was not a leap year, because. it is not divisible by 400. The year 2000, from which the countdown of the new millennium began, was a leap year. List of all leap years for two centuries:

• 20th century: 1904, 1908, 1912, 1916, 1920, 1924, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1940, 1944, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1980 , 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996 ;
• XXI century: 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, 2024, 2028, 2032, 2036, 2040, 2044, 2048, 2052, 2056, 2060, 2064, 2068, 2072, 207 6, 2080, 2084, 2088, 2092 , 2096 (2100 will not be a leap year, because it is not divisible by 400).

February 29, 1992 in Moscow, in the Cinema House, a holiday of Nezavisimaya Gazeta took place. Gorbachev, Shaposhnikov, Rutskoi, Gaidar, as well as people close to the authorities gathered for the celebration. Show business stars just didn't fight to perform in a big concert for the occasion.
The treat for the guests included fresh oysters delivered by plane from Paris. (Before that, the last time the capital saw this was in 1917).

In some circles, the event received the ironic name "Celebration of the collapse of the Union." It is believed that the same banquet gave a kind of "start" to the many excesses of the oligarchs and persons close to power, who later did not hesitate to revel in any circumstances and in any situation in the country.

On February 29, 1992 in Sevastopol, in the Cathedral of St. Vladimir, the ashes of admirals M.P. Lazarev, V.A. Kornilov, V.I. Istomin, P.S. Nakhimov were reburied.

On February 29, 1992, in St. Petersburg, the rector of the Nikolo-Bogoyavlensky Naval Cathedral, Father Bogdan Soiko, consecrated destroyer"Restless". It was on this ship that the first official hoisting of the St. Andrew's flag in the Russian Navy took place.
The clergy of the Naval Cathedral illuminates warships and civil ships built at the Admiralty Shipyards, the Baltic Shipyard and the Severnaya Shipyard. .

On February 29, 1992, in Khibiny, an ascent to the top of the Otkol peak of the Takhtarvumchorr ridge along the South-Eastern ridge took place. Members of the group of climbers - leader Shumilov O.I., master of sports of the USSR in mountaineering, Proskura A.Ya., Sokolov E.I. According to the results of the ascent, a climbing classification route was developed. The height of the summit is 1143 meters, the category of difficulty is 1B, the height difference is 800 m, the number of hours from the foot is 3 hours. .

On February 29, 1992, a referendum was held in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in which the citizens of the republic voted for its independence and sovereignty and secession from former Yugoslavia. The referendum was attended by 63% of voters in 107 out of 109 communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). In Titov Drvar and Bosanski Hrachov, voting did not take place.

After the referendum, which was opposed by the Bosnian Serbs - mostly supporters of the Serbian Democratic Party - armed clashes broke out in Bosnia. Civil War ended in 1995 with the signing of the Dayton Accords. .

On February 29, 1992, the first flight of the Hawk 100 (Enhanced Ground Attack Hawk) aircraft (designed by British Aerospace, UK) took place. The tactical attack aircraft Hawk 100 became a continuation of the Hawk 60. The development of the aircraft began in 1982, and at the same time orders were received from the Saudi Arabian Air Force. It is produced in various modifications for different countries. .