Most kids love their birthdays. But I am celebrating mine in a really big way this year. That’s because it only comes around every four years!
You probably know that February usually has 28 days. But once every four years, it has 29 days. That’s called a leap year. I was born on February 29, 2012. So my first official birthday was in 2016. My second birthday is this month.
My mom explained to me that we have leap years for a reason. A year is supposed to be the amount of time it takes Earth to go around the sun. On the calendar, a year is 365 days. But it really takes 365 days plus 6 hours for Earth to orbit the sun. What happens to those extra 6 hours? After four years, they add up to a whole extra day. It is added to the end of February, the shortest month.
I like joking with people about my special birthday. And I love it when I get to celebrate when I was born on the actual day. This year, I plan to have cake, balloons, and a party at a science museum with my friends!