This is the year of the Extra Day. For some reason, it has been stuck onto the still-wintry month of February, instead of giving us a June 31st, or an August 32nd, when the days are long and bright. Anyway, those born on February 29th are collectively known as “Leaplings”. They must face headaches when filling out online forms that require a date of birth.
Obviously, such an unusual day has gathered its own traditions in various locations around the world. We have the Olympics every leap year; apt for such an active verb.
In Ireland and some other European countries, women are “permitted” to propose marriage to their partners on the 29th. There is of course nothing to prevent this happening on any of the other 365 days of the year, but traditions be traditions.
If the chap says Nay, I Will Not Marry Thee, Impudent Lass (my words), there is a fine to be paid. In Scotland, it is a silk gown. In Denmark, it is 12 pairs of gloves. In Finland, it is enough fabric to make a skirt. Who actually has to make the skirt is unclear.
Ireland’s new dating scene: Finding love the old-fashioned way
‘We’re getting closer to it being realised’: Ambitious plans for Dublin lido gather momentum
From enchanted forests to winter wonderlands: 12 Christmas experiences to try around Ireland
Hidden by One Society restaurant review: Delightful Dublin neighbourhood spot with tasty food and keen prices
In Greece, it is considered unlucky to get either married or divorced in a leap year, which is certainly unfortunate for anyone in the wedding industry. As for people who separate in a leap year, they are apparently doomed never to find happiness again, which is a pretty harsh “tradition”.
Being a journalist, of course my favourite leap year thing is the fact that in France, there is a special newspaper that only comes out on that day
Things are worse in Taiwan if you are an “older” person; exact age unspecified. It is not an auspicious year. You may well die. To ward off these inauspicious heebie jeebies, daughters – of course, because God forbid a man would do any cooking – return to their family homes to rustle up a tasty dish of noodles with pigs’ trotters. These trotters will bring you good fortune, and possibly, indigestion.
Being a journalist, of course my favourite leap year thing is the fact that in France, there is a special newspaper that only comes out on that day. It is a satirical paper called La Bougie du Sapier, and sells about 150,000 copies – a definite collector’s item.
In Germany, women tie ribbons on a birch tree outside the house of the man they are fond of. Should there be a convenient birch tree already growing outside the house of this chosen man, that is.
Marketing will always be with us, and thus there is a cocktail called Leap Day. It was dreamed up in 1928 in London’s Savoy Hotel by a barman named Harry Craddock. It sounds like something you would only want to drink once every four years: Grand Marnier, sweet vermouth, gin and lemon juice.
By the time the next leap year comes around, it will be the hundredth anniversary of this Leap Year cocktail, and if they are smart in the marketing department in the Savoy, they will change the name to the Hundredth-Anniversary-Edition-Leap-Year-Cocktail, so they may serve it year-round.
- See our new project Common Ground, Evolving Islands: Ireland & Britain
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Find The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Our In The News podcast is now published daily – Find the latest episode here
