How can you make the most of leap day? NPR listeners have a few ideas

Thursday is a leap day, the uncommon date of February 29 that is added to the calendar almost each 4 years.

Meaning the roughly 5 million individuals worldwide born on that day — aka “leaplings” — will get to have a good time on their precise birthday. Others will spend it commemorating a leap day wedding ceremony, engagement or anniversary.

For a lot of, Thursday may be one other day — however one they’d like to make use of correctly by doing one thing they love, taking time for themselves or giving again to others. That may take many varieties.

“Take into consideration that additional which you can give or that additional that you are able to do, and luxuriate in that bonus day that we solely get as soon as each 4 years,” stated Katheryn Jager, of Cedar Park, Texas.

Jager, 50, has massive plans for the day: She and her fiancé are “taking the leap,” getting married of their yard surrounded by family and friends on the four-year anniversary of their first date.

She stated their first date in 2020 wasn’t particularly deliberate for leap day. It was simply the day that the 2 of them — longtime mates who reunited after being divorced and widowed — occurred to be free. The day now carries particular significance, to not point out some perks.

“It has been enjoyable to listen to how many individuals have congratulated my fiancé on being so intelligent as to get an anniversary which solely happens as soon as each 4 years,” Jager stated. “He very fortunately tells them we’ll have a good time near the day.”

Jager is likely one of the greater than 100 respondents who answered NPR’s callout asking how individuals plan to have a good time leap day this 12 months. Their responses ranged from the frilly to the on a regular basis.

A number of leap day infants and their members of the family stated they will be celebrating with birthday journeys overseas — on a cruise, to a brand new continent or to a bucket listing metropolis. Others stated they will be having fun with leap day birthdays with events at residence, many impressed by the age they will technically be turning.

“We’re internet hosting an 8 12 months outdated occasion!” wrote Grace Boersma, who will probably be turning 32 by different calculations. “Going ice skating then heading again to a home for a ‘Frozen Meals Feast,’ as 8-year olds love frozen meals (dino hen nuggets, cheese sticks, fries, and so forth.). There may be additionally a cocktail half as nicely for attendees to give you a cocktail that an 8-year outdated would love (if they might drink).”

A number of individuals are honoring late relations born on the day by making household recipes or doing a superb deed. Others are celebrating wedding ceremony anniversaries, some for the primary time because the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020.

Many will attempt to make the day particular for his or her younger kids, just like the father or mother who maintains a “intercalary year fund” to throw her daughter an enormous celebration each 4 years, and the household planning a “final first day” occasion to have a good time the ultimate calendar date their child has but to expertise.

And plenty of individuals do not have private ties to the day however nonetheless plan to take off work, compensate for chores or use it to take pleasure in a few of their favourite actions, like thrifting, seeing a film or clocking some additional miles on a run.

“Even the day I gave start on Leap Day 2016 Fb requested me ‘Did you take advantage of your additional day at present?’ Um, sure Fb … I birthed a child,” wrote Stephanie Vazquez. “I might encourage everybody to make use of that additional day for your self in some way.”

In case you want some inspiration, NPR’s Morning Version spoke to almost a dozen individuals across the U.S. about how they’re making essentially the most out of leap day.

Learn how to have a good time a intercalary year birthday

Many individuals born on Feb. 29 informed NPR that they’ve robust emotions about which day to have a good time in non-leap years.

Many want Feb. 28, reasoning that they have been born on the final day of the month. Some go together with March 1, since they have been born the day after Feb. 28. Others declare each days, or they swap, relying on the 12 months.

Jason Bohn, who is popping 11 (or 44) on Thursday, says that he is within the minority who celebrates on March 1 — and that it is a subject of heavy debate within the intercalary year neighborhood. He is particularly plugged in, as a member of the leap day child group on Fb and one of many organizers behind the second consecutive leap day cruise.

Bohn was one among almost 80 leaplings who took a four-day cruise to the Bahamas in 2020. Attendees ranged in age from 1 12 months outdated to their higher 70s, they usually represented greater than 30 states and 10 international locations. They celebrated the precise leap day itself at sea with a leap day ball, swapping child images and attending to know one another.

“After we form of got here collectively, it was similar to we have been already household,” Bohn stated. “We obtained again residence, and two weeks later the world shut down. And it was actually comforting to have that group of those who we had met on the cruise. It was virtually form of a second household for lots of us, and we have stayed in contact all through the years.”

Bohn says a couple of dozen of the unique cruisers will probably be again this time round, joined by some 60 newcomers. He estimates that every one informed, leaplings and their households will make up some 250 passengers — “a bit of little bit of a drive on that ship.”

The West Allis, Wis., resident is happy to get some solar and have a good time with different leaplings. He has helped plan actions — and matching lanyards — to assist the group bond. These embody pre-cruise drinks in Miami and one other Feb. 29 ball, which he described because the true spotlight final time.

“It was simply nice to simply have that point to form of actually give attention to ourselves and the factor that makes us all a bit of extra particular than most,” he added.

Different leap day infants celebrating on land informed NPR that they are going to be spending time with their households, consuming at their favourite eating places, partying with mates and stocking up on freebies from companies that do leap day giveaways with proof of a Feb. 29 birthday (or a minimum of they did in 2020).

An amazing day to mark an anniversary and even get (re)married

A number of respondents stated they will be celebrating a marriage anniversary on Feb. 29, with a number of even planning to get married — or remarried — on the day itself.

Chris Goonan, 33, says he and his spouse, Caroline, will probably be celebrating their “first actual wedding ceremony anniversary” since they obtained married in 2020.

That they had a vacation spot wedding ceremony at Gilbert’s Bar Home of Refuge, a historic web site close to Stuart, Fla., the place Goonan had been stationed with the Coast Guard. They booked it due to the venue’s availability, not the date itself.

“We knew that we wished to do it in February as a result of all of our household could be coming down from upstate New York,” he defined. “And we noticed that February twenty ninth was accessible. It was a Saturday. We did not even take into account that it was a intercalary year, and we have been like, ‘Completely, we now have to do it.'”

This 12 months, the couple plans to journey from their residence in Syracuse again to the identical seaside and eat on the restaurant that catered their wedding ceremony. And Goonan says it will likely be much more particular this time, since they’re bringing their 1-year-old son with them.

“This will probably be his first time all the way down to Florida to see the ocean and truly contact the ocean,” he stated, including they plan to repeat the custom each intercalary year going ahead.

Cindy and PJ Gaynard will probably be celebrating their fifth anniversary, 20 years after they obtained married.

They particularly wished to get engaged and married on leap day, partially to buck the strain they felt to have a good time each single anniversary of the day they met. They could not even bear in mind the date, however they are saying it was July and never February.

“We’re like, ‘That is loads of strain.’ So we have been similar to, ‘Effectively, let’s simply do it each 4 years, and each 4 years we’ll have a good time our anniversary actually massive,'” stated Cindy.

They achieve this by holding vow renewal ceremonies each 4 years, or as they name it, “getting married once more.” The Gaynards, who now have two kids, have picked all kinds of themes and requested completely different mates to officiate every one.

They first obtained married at a planetarium, beneath star charts representing their connecting trajectories. Their second “wedding ceremony” was officiated in Las Vegas near midnight by an Elvis impersonator, whom they recall being visibly drained from doing weddings all day. The subsequent intercalary year, they ate cupcakes on a seaside in Malibu, Calif., close to the place they lived on the time.

Then the couple moved to Pittsburgh and celebrated their subsequent anniversary “getting married” at a roller-skating rink whereas strapped into curler blades. 4 years in the past, after a snowstorm canceled their journey plans, they threw collectively a clown-themed wedding ceremony at an area “vegan restaurant-slash-vintage store.”

This 12 months, they’re internet hosting a screening of one among Cindy’s favourite films, Fairly in Pink, at PJ’s movie studio — with a shock twist.

Cindy says she, like many individuals, has at all times hated the ending of the film, during which Andie (Molly Ringwald) chooses rich-kid Blane (Andrew McCarthy) over lovable Duckie (Jon Cryer) at promenade. It was really shot the opposite manner round at first, says PJ.

“We’ll cease the film early, do the ending the best way that was initially within the script after which get married as Andie and Duckie,” he added.

There are many different methods to make the day particular

Even when you’re not celebrating a birthday or anniversary, or rewriting cinema historical past, there are nonetheless issues you are able to do to make your bonus day a bit of additional particular.

That might imply getting extra achieved, from chores to socializing to sleeping in.

One respondent informed NPR they’re grateful for an additional day to pack up their condominium earlier than their lease ends on March 1. One other says her household at all times goes out to eat at IHOP, citing her dad’s love of puns.

It may additionally imply doing nothing in any respect.

“Why not make it a self-care, indulge care, pastime day,” wrote Emeka Barclay. “For me, that seems like a day of no social media, no newsfeeds, no politics… I simply know that no matter I do, it will likely be a free day for me.”

Others are internet hosting events to have a good time the day itself, like graduate pupil Jillian Winter. She stated issues can really feel bleak and overwhelming, each for these ending their PhDs and anybody following the information cycle, and he or she is raring to unfold some good cheer.

“Clearly, there will probably be occasion video games that contain leaping … Sweet will probably be tossed at individuals … There will probably be a ‘shrimp tree,’ aka I am going to enhance my ficus tree with shrimp ornaments (which is able to double as occasion favors),” she wrote. “Of us will share Leap Day secrets and techniques and supply up toasts for the bonus day … Always remember, ‘Actual life is for March!'”

For Rachel Nantt and her mates, it will likely be a day of nostalgia, reflection, and sweatpants. The Fargo, N.D., resident is throwing a celebration with a 2020 theme — the up to date model of the 2016-themed bash she attended 4 years in the past.

The 27-year-old will don the school commencement robe she did not get to put on throughout her COVID commencement. The group will play Amongst Us, the net recreation that saved many individuals related through the early months of the pandemic.

Nantt says she has fielded loads of jokes in regards to the theme, together with attendees saying they need to gown up as somebody who simply obtained laid off. However she says it is uplifting to consider how far she and her mates have come since that tough time.

“I really feel like I’ve form of taken life extra by the horns and achieved what I wished,” she stated, pointing to her profession transition and new relationship. “And after I was 23, 4 years in the past, I can not say that I used to be doing that. So I look again and I believe, how wonderful that I can simply be pleased and be actually who I’m to at the present time.”

And Nantt hopes others can discover pleasure within the day too, even when it is simply one other Thursday.