I have always been fascinated
by Leap Year. Leap Year can be traced
all the way back to King Ptolemy III of Egypt in 238 BC. In 45 BC Julius Caesar’s astronomer added
days to the months to make a 365 day calendar.
Pope Gregory XIII refined the Julian calendar creating a leap day in
years divisible by four.
Why? Because a year
containing an extra day is needed to keep the calendar year synchronized with
the astronomical or seasonal calendar.
(Wikipedia)
The comics have also fascinated me.
In Al Capp’s comic strip, “ Li’l Abner,” the father of
Sadie Hawkins (Daisy May), afraid that his 35 year old daughter would be with
him forever, created a race. At the
sound of Pa Hawkin’s gun, the eligible bachelors were to start “a-runnin.” When the second shot sounded, Sadie and the
girls began the chase. “If the woman
caught a bachelor and dragged him, kicking and screaming, across the finish
line before sundown—by law he had to marry her!” For years in the comic strip Sadie Hawkins
day occurred around November 15. In real
life, however, the idea of a gender role-reversal caught on with high schools
and colleges. In the 1930’s it was
unheard of for a girl to ask a boy on a date.
In the United States, Sadie Hawkins landed on Leap Day. The day the girl would ask the boy to the
Sadie Hawkins Dance.
Why all this trivia?
Leap Year IS fascinating.
February 29 IS an extra day. It’s
a gift from God. It’s special. It’s a day to do something special. It may be the day to call a friend. It may be to have some little surprise for
the family. Or, it may be the day to
visit a shut-in or elderly relative. A
walk in the woods in a beautiful park would make it special. Since Leap Day comes in Lent this year,
spending some extra time with Scripture would make it special. Even some quiet time in prayer or, with a
good book. Whatever one does on Leap
Day, it should be something special, something out of the ordinary; something
to lift the human spirit. It should be
something that says, “Thank you” to God for a special day! Sr. Kathleen Ryan, OSB
Sr. Kathleen,
ReplyDeleteFor my family February 29th is the day we remember my grandmother's passing. We were so grateful that she passed when she did and we only have to remember is once eery 4 years! Certainly a blessing from the Lord!
Maria Borchardt
Today is March 18th, and I'm catching up on my reading, unfortunately I missed my Leap year opportunity for this round, but you have presented to me a wonderful idea for 2016. From this point of view, there is no good reason for Feb 29th to be just another day! I like it!
ReplyDeleteHello Sister Kathleen,
ReplyDeleteWe are back in Jacksonville, after 6 months in Portland, Oregon. Enjoyed remembering Sadie Hawkins and the gender-role reversal. My how times have changed...in Portland people are stressing gender-free. Although the Pacific Northwest is beautiful, it is a little too crazy for me...glad to be back home.