Leap years since 1970. An ancient legend about a leap year

The new year 2020 will be a leap year, which means that we will live 1 day more in it - in February, instead of the usual 28 days, there will be 29. The additional 366 day in a leap year on February 29 is due to the fact that the Earth completes its revolution around the Sun in 365 days 5 hours 48 minutes and 46 seconds. To compensate for this difference of almost 6 hours, one day is added to the calendar every 4 years.

Everyone has a different attitude towards the leap year - some consider this period to be the most ordinary year, which does not carry any danger, others are afraid of it and associate many superstitions with this period. In this article we will try to understand all the signs, beliefs and misconceptions associated with the leap year.

Upcoming Leap Years: 2020, 2024, 2028, 2032, 2036, 2040, 2044.

An additional day in a leap year, February 29, is called Kasyanov's day. In Nada, this day is considered one of the most difficult and dangerous. Bad attitude to the leap year was in popular beliefs associated with a certain Kasyan, about whom there were many legends and beliefs. According to one legend, Kasyan was an Angel who knew all the affairs and plans of God. However, it later turned out that he was a traitor who told all the plans to the demons. For this he was punished - he was beaten on the forehead for 3 years, and for 4 years he was released to Earth, where he already committed evil deeds. According to another legend, Kasyan was a saint, but he broke the law and drank alcohol for 3 years, and stopped for 4 years.

Signs for Leap Year 2020

IN Leap year You can’t start anything serious - building a house, major contracts or transactions, purchases, weddings and much more. All this was prohibited. Because nothing good will come of such undertakings - everything will soon fall apart and bring with it many more problems. Also, if possible, you should not change your job or apartment.

In a leap year, it is better not to start building a bathhouse.

A child born in a leap year needs to take blood relatives as godfathers.

If you live in a village and raise geese, then when you slaughter a bird in a leap year, give the third goose for free to relatives or neighbors.

In the spring of a leap year, when you plant seeds and seedlings in the garden for the first time, say: “In a leap year, soot will die.”

If you still decide to get married on a leap year, then before the ceremony say this talisman: “I am crowning with a crown, not a leap end.”

People who get divorced during a leap year should buy a new towel. These towels are then taken to the church and given to the cleaning ladies, saying to themselves: “I pay tribute to the Leap Day, and you, Family Angel, stand next to me. Amen. Amen. Amen.

In a leap year, when leaving home, they say, without crossing the threshold: “I’m going and driving along the leap trail, I’ll bow to the leap year. I left the threshold, and I’ll come back here. Amen.”

At the first thunder in a leap year, they cross their fingers and whisper: “The whole family is with me (the names of your family members). Amen.”

When they hear a dog howling on a leap year, they say: “Go howl, but not to my home. Amen.”

sharky:
03/25/2013 at 16:04

Why on earth is 1900 not a leap year? A leap year occurs every 4 years, i.e. If it is divisible by 4, it is a leap year. And no more divisions by 100 or 400 are needed.

It’s normal to ask questions, but before you assert anything, study the hardware. The Earth revolves around the sun in 365 days 5 hours 48 minutes 46 seconds. As you can see, the remainder is not exactly 6 hours, but 11 minutes 14 seconds less. This means that by making a leap year we add extra time. Somewhere over 128 years, extra days accumulate. Therefore, every 128 years in one of the 4-year cycles there is no need to make a leap year in order to get rid of these extra days. But to simplify things, every 100th year is not a leap year. Is the idea clear? Fine. What then should we do next, since an extra day is added every 128 years, and we cut it off every 100 years? Yes, we cut off more than we should, and this needs to be returned at some point.

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

The calculation I gave shows that in the current state, an error in one day will accumulate over 3200 years, but here’s what Wikipedia writes about it:
“An error of one day compared to the year of the equinoxes in the Gregorian calendar will accumulate in approximately 10,000 years (in the Julian calendar - approximately in 128 years). A frequently encountered estimate, leading to a value of the order of 3000 years, is obtained if one does not take into account that the number of days in tropical year and, in addition, the relationship between the lengths of the seasons changes.” From the same Wikipedia, the formula for the length of a 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.

sharky:
03/25/2013 at 16:04

Why on earth is 1900 not a leap year? A leap year occurs every 4 years, i.e. If it is divisible by 4, it is a leap year. And no more divisions by 100 or 400 are needed.

If the first paragraph is clear and still interesting, then read on, but it will be more difficult.

The calculation I gave shows that in the current state, an error in one day will accumulate over 3200 years, but here’s what Wikipedia writes about it:
“An error of one day compared to the year of the equinoxes in the Gregorian calendar will accumulate in approximately 10,000 years (in the Julian calendar - approximately in 128 years). A frequently encountered estimate, leading to a value of the order of 3000 years, is obtained if one does not take into account that the number of days in the tropical year changes over time and, in addition, the relationship between the lengths of the seasons changes.” From the same Wikipedia, the formula for the length of a 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.

The Salem witch hunt began.

1708
Peter issues a decree on the foundation of the Biysk fortress

1784
Leo von Klenze, the founder of architectural movements based on the principle of “new - slightly rebuilt antique”, was born. And the Marquis de Sade was transferred to the Bastille, where in five years he would write three of his most famous and shocking novels.

1792
Gioachino Rossini is born.

1812
Napoleon appoints commanders in his army. Alexander I is considering a gas lighting project in the capital of his empire.

1816
Grand Duchess gets married - of course, to a prince. Russian Emperor cares about widows and the country's legislation.

1828
The premiere of Ober's opera “The Mute of Portici” (or “Fenella”) took place.

1832
Charles Darwin explores the Brazilian jungle during the Beagle expedition.

1856
The Crimean War is over.

1860
Herman Cholerite was born.

1880
The St. Gotthard Tunnel was completed.

1888
Russian empire full of cultural events. Performances are performed, writers write letters. In Europe, Engels writes something of little interest to Liebknecht. In America, there is another round of court cases that ultimately dragged on for a quarter of a century and led to changes in the rules of judicial evidence.

1892
An international commission has been created to regulate the fishery fur seals. This was one of the first examples international cooperation in animal protection.

1896
Talented organizers and creative personalities were born all over the world on this year and day.

1900
By Gregorian calendar 1900 is a non-leap year, according to Julian - a leap year.

1904
Russo-Japanese War- one of the first in the 20th century. And in Europe they dance and sing.

1908
Liquid helium was obtained at the Leiden laboratory. The Oryol Central Center has been created in Russia. They play football in Brazil.

1912
Joseph Stalin escapes from exile. Russia is helping to conclude the Serbian-Bulgarian treaty. Workers go on strike in Bodaibo.

1916
Strikes, pogroms, sunken ships, orders and everything that accompanies a world war. In Moscow, poets are self-elected to the Chairmen of the Globe.

1920
The Red Army is pushing back the atamans of Denikin and Annenkov. The first constitution was approved in the Czech Republic. The Kapp putsch began in Germany.

1924
After civil war culture comes to life. Surrogate money is prohibited. Vladimir Kryukov, chairman of the KGB and member of the State Emergency Committee, is born.

1928
The Central Election Commission and Council of People's Commissars of all levels produce documents. Writers write letters. The artists perform. The ships are being built. Celebrities are born.

1932
There is an armed rebellion of fascists in Finland. The last Emperor China is still trying to lead the state.

1936
Niels Bohr proposed a planetary model of the structure of the atom.

1940
Hitler is fooling the American diplomat. Black Hattie McDaniel wins an Oscar.

1944
Soviet troops successfully advancing in all directions.

1948
The President of Peru criticizes his opponents. Irina Kupchenko was born.

1952
The USSR sends notes to America because of the Katyn affair. A letter about Paulus is sent to Stalin. The Academy of Arts thinks about talented children. Aircraft testing ends and begins. Raisa Smetanina is born in the village of Mokhcha.

1956
Planes are flying. Unfairly accused and executed generals have been rehabilitated. Created Islamic republic Pakistan. The President of Finland resigned. In Korea, articles are published that fully support the opinion of the country's leader.

1960
Major earthquake in Marocco. Flights of cruise missiles and new aircraft. Film premieres. Writers and at least one serial killer were born.

1964
Launching of a Soviet nuclear submarine. A message from the Americans about the existence of a new strategic fighter aircraft. The Pact of Arab Cultural Unity is signed.

1968
Ships and submarines have been launched. The Il-18D plane crashed.

1972
V. Vysotsky sings in Moscow. In the USA, John Lennon begins to fight for an American visa.

Every person has heard about the existence of a leap year. But few people know where this name came from, and how humanity has a certain limit of time, which in the future could be a whole year. Why leap years of the 21st century are considered unlucky and how they can be determined will be described in this review.

The generally accepted unit of time is the year.

During this period of time, the full seasonal cycle goes through:

spring;
summer;
autumn;
winter.

It is during this period of time that the Earth carries out full turn around the star Sun. This action takes 365 full days and 6 hours. This time period is called the astronomical year. One day contains 24 hours. From the “extra” 6 hours of each year, an additional day is accumulated, falling every fourth year. This day falls on February 29th.

Important! Having a 29th day in February makes the year a leap year.

The unusual year owes its name to Latin language, from which “Bicsextus” is literally translated as “second sixth.” In the Julian calendar, the second 24 became the “extra” number. And since February was last month year according to Caesar's calendar, an extra day was added to it.

Julian and Gregorian calendars

Since the beginning of world history, humanity has known two types of calendars:

Julian;
Gregorian.

Starting from January 1, 45 BC, civilized humanity lived according to the Julian calendar, which was founded by Gaius Julius Caesar. According to this calendar, every third year was followed by a long year with 366 days.

The Romans believed that it took 365.25 days to complete a revolution of the planet around a celestial body, while exact date is 365 days 5 hours 48 minutes 46 seconds. It turns out that every year between the two equinoxes there is a difference of 11 minutes and 14 seconds.

Thus, over 128 years, one day has accumulated from these minutes, and over 16 centuries this figure has increased to 10. Under the Julian calendar, a leap year was considered to be any that was divisible by 100 or 200.

This continued until 1582, when the then-current Pope Gregory introduced new calendar, where not only every fourth year is a leap year, but even one that is a multiple of 400. This was, for example, 2000.

One of the reasons why it was decided to change the calendar was Christian holidays that needed to be celebrated in certain time without displacement. Thus, Catholic Pope Gregory XIII proposed his own calendar, which was approved and adopted during the Ecumenical Council.

Answering the question of how to determine a leap year without having a table at hand, you should consider every second even year of the Gregorian calendar as such.

Since 1918, residents of our country began to use the Gregorian calendar. Already from the moment of the transition to the Gregorian style, there was a confusion of dates by 10 days, although still, the difference between Gregorian and Julian calendar Every four centuries it increases by 3 days.

Leap years calendar

To know for sure and not wonder how to determine a leap year, you need to take into account this sign - the number of the year is divisible by 4, 100 and 400 without a remainder. If the number is divisible by 4,100, but not divisible by 400, then the year is not a leap year. Taking this information into account, you can easily determine the required years.

The reason for the bad fame of leap year

It must be admitted that if we did not have leap years, the seasons would regularly shift. Therefore, they help synchronize the Gregorian and astrological calendars, and prevent the seasons from shifting to other months.

But why a leap year is considered bad, you need to figure it out. In Slavic culture, it has long been negative attitude for years like this. An extra day in February was considered the cause of disasters and troubles.

Perhaps the reason for such dislike was that this time, February 29, according to Slavic beliefs, is subject to Kashchei-Chernobog, who commanded dark forces, sowing evil, death, disease and madness.

Often the ancient Russians associated leap day with Cassian, who was born on February 29th. Based on the legends, where he was assigned the role of a guard at the gates of Hell, a traitor cherub, a pupil of demons, etc., one can understand why this character was greatly feared and strongly cursed. The Russians were sure that Cassian had a negative influence on the whole year. There was a pestilence of livestock and poultry, crops in the fields were destroyed, and famine set in.

On February 29, people tried not to go out into the yard and keep their livestock and poultry locked up.

It is difficult to definitively answer why a leap year is considered bad. Some scientists claim that natural disasters and man-made disasters become more frequent during this period of time. Many individuals also rush to write off their individual troubles as just over a year later.

Historical facts are the following tragic events:

collapse Byzantine Empire and the city of Constantinople falls on the leap year 1204;
in 1232 the bloody Spanish Inquisition began;
pestilence of inhabitants medieval Europe from the plague, which killed 1/3 of the population in 1400;
terrible events St. Bartholomew's Night in 1572;
the terrible tsunami in Japan in 1896 and the earthquake in China in 1556;
in 1908 everyone knew about the fall Tunguska meteorite etc.

This list can be continued for a long time. These are the statistics that support most folk beliefs, superstitions and signs.

Good to know! Those newlyweds who dared to celebrate their wedding in a leap year were predicted to have a difficult family life.

List of leap years in the 21st century

In order to plan important events in your life, such as marriage, birth of children, change of profession, place of residence, etc., information about which leap years are in this century will be useful.

Leap years, list in the 20th century: 1904, 1908, 1912, 1916, 1920, 1924, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1940, 1944, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1972, 19 76, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996.

Leap years in our century: 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, 2100.

It is generally accepted that all years from February 29th bring trouble and are celebrated tragic events. But, taking into account the information received, we can conclude that you should not pay too much attention to signs. Bad events and disasters happened at different times.

Some people, on the contrary, endow the leap year with mystical properties, and wonder why it is considered bad.

People born on February 29 consider themselves to be certain lucky and original people. They can celebrate their birthday only once every 4 years.

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Let's sum it up

Positive attitude and faith in own strength form a powerful basis for important achievements in a person’s life, and small superstitions should not become an obstacle to achieving goals.