Leap Years: List. History of origin and superstition

2016 is a leap year. This is not such a rare phenomenon, because every 4 years in February there is a 29 day. A lot of superstitions are connected with this year, but is it really dangerous? Let's try to figure this out, whether leap years are different. The list of the 21st century with respect to leap years follows the same principle as before.

Leap Year: Definition

We all know that there are 365 days a year, but sometimes there are 366. What does it depend on? First of all, it should be noted that we live according to the Gregorian calendar, in it the usual years are those that contain 365 days, and leap years - which are one day longer, respectively 366 days. This is because periodically in February, not 28, but 29 days. This happens once in four years, and this very year is usually called a leap year.

How to determine a leap year

Those years, the numbers of which can be divided into 4 without a remainder, are ranked among those that are called leap years. The list can be found in this article. Suppose the current year, 2016, if we divide it by 4, then we get as a result of dividing the number without a remainder. Accordingly, this is a leap year. In the usual year - 52 weeks and 1 day. Each subsequent year is shifted by one day relative to the days of the week. After the leap year, the bias occurs immediately for 2 days.

The astronomical year is considered from the first day of the vernal equinox to the beginning of the next. This period, just, and does not have exactly 365 days, which are listed in the calendar, but somewhat more.

An exception

The exception is zero years of centuries, that is, at the end of which there are two zeros. But if such a number of the year can be divided without a remainder of 400, then it is also classed as a leap year.

If we take into account that extra in a year is not exactly six hours, the missing minutes also affect the calculation of time. It was calculated that for this reason, 128 days later, one more day will run in this way. In this regard, it was decided that not every fourth year is considered a leap year, and to exclude from this rule those years that are multiple of 100, except those that are divided into 400.

The history of the leap year

To be more precise, according to the Egyptian solar calendar, introduced by Julius Caesar, in the year it is not exactly 365 days, but 365.25, that is, plus another quarter of a day. The extra quarter of the day in this case is 5 hours 48 minutes and 45 seconds, which rounded to 6 hours, making up a fourth of the day. But adding such a small unit of time every time to a year is not advisable.

For four years a quarter of a day turns into a full-fledged day, which is added to the year. Thus, February, which has fewer days than usual months, adds an extra day - and only in a leap year is February 29th.

The calendar year was decided to adjust according to the astronomical - it was done so that the seasons always come on the same day. Otherwise, the borders would shift with time.

Leap years: a list of years past and 21st century. Example:

The calendar year was decided to adjust according to the astronomical - it was done so that the seasons always come on the same day. Otherwise, the borders would shift with time.

From the Julian calendar, we switched to the Gregorian calendar, which differs from the previous one in that a leap year occurs every four years, and in the Julian year, every three years. The Russian Orthodox Church still lives according to the old style. He lags behind for 13 days from the Gregorian calendar. Hence the celebration of the dates for the old and new style. Thus, Christmas is celebrated for Catholics according to the old style - on December 25, and in Russia on the Gregorian calendar - on January 7.

Where did the fear come from before a leap year?

The word "leap" comes from the Latin word "bis sextus", which translates as "second sixth".

Most people associate a leap year with something bad. All these superstitions went back to ancient Rome. In the modern world, days are counted from the beginning of the month, in antiquity it was different. They considered the days that remained until the beginning of the next month. Suppose, if we say, on February 24, then the ancient Romans in this case used the expression "the sixth day before the beginning of March".

When the leap year came, between February 24 and 25 there was an extra day. That is, in the usual year before March 1, there remained 5 days, and in the leap year it was already 6, so the expression "second sixth" was used.

With the approach of March, the fasting lasted five days, if it started on February 24, but with the addition of an extra day the post already lasted, respectively, for 1 day longer. Therefore, they considered such a year to be bad - hence the superstition of the failure of leap years.

In addition, superstition went from the fact that only in a leap year is Kasyanov's day celebrated on February 29. This holiday is considered mystical. In this regard, for a long time people have been trying in such years not to do big things, not to marry, not to have children, and so on. Despite the simplicity of the algorithm for determining the leap year, some may ask: "What years are leap years?".

Leap years of the 19th century: a list

1802, 1812, 1816, 1820, 1824, 1828, 1832, 1836, 1840, 1844, 1848, 1852, 1856, 1860, 1864, 1868, 1872, 1876, 1880, 1884, 1888, 1892, 1896.

Leap years of the 20th century: the list of them is as follows:

1904, 1908, 1912, 1916, 1920, 1924, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1940, 1944, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996

Which years are leap years? The list of the years of the current century will be built in the same way as the previous ones. Let's get acquainted with it. Leap years (list) of the 21st century will be calculated in the same way. That is, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, and so on.

Signs associated with a leap year

In this year, it is believed, one can not change the usual situation. By this we can understand the move to a new place of residence, the search for a new job.

It was believed that marriages concluded this year, can not bring happiness, and to conduct weddings was not recommended.

You can not do anything, start new business. This includes the opening of a business, the construction of a house.

Let's answer the question about which years are leap years? List of 19, 20 and 21 centuries:

It is better to postpone long trips and travel.

You can not celebrate the first tooth of a child.

Since ancient times, such years have been considered dangerous, carrying many deaths, diseases, wars and crop failures. People, especially superstitious, fear the offensive of this year, already prepared for the worst. But are they really dangerous?

Opinion about the established superstition

The Church does not see anything wrong in these years, explaining such a phenomenon as a leap year, just the changes in the calendar that were once introduced. Based on statistics, such years are no different from ordinary. Even if you take the issue of marriage in a leap year, which predicts a short life in marriage, then the number of divorces "leap-frogs" is nothing more than among those couples who married in normal years.