[__ Science __ ] Leap Day 2020: A Brief History of Leap Day

[AIG.com]

Today is February 29—Leap Day 2020! This date occurs once every four years. Why do we have this quadrennial practice?

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[Barbarian]

Technically, we have a leap day every year divisible by four, unless it's also divisible by 100, in which case, we don't, unless it's also divisible by 400, in which case, we do.

So 2000 was a leap year, but 1900 was not. This is due to the calendar reform of Pope Gregory which corrected the less accurate Julian Calendar, (the reform ordered by Julius Caesar). It's over 99.9999% accurate, slightly better than the remarkably good calendar of the Mayas (who cared a lot about the passage of time)

 

[Barbarian]

Some Christians find this unsettling, because it seems to them that there not being an integral multiple of days in the month or year doesn’t fit in with their concept of a “very good” creation. But who are we to impose our concepts of “very good” on what God has done?

Unless it's evolution, of course. Then they feel empowered to "impose our concepts" on what God has done.