Once again, it's time to set your clocks ahead by one hour...wait, that's not until March. A leap year, also known as an intercalary year, is a calendar year that contains an additional day compared to a standard year. The 366th day is added to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical year. Because astronomical events and seasons do not repeat in a whole number of days, calendars that have a constant number of days in each year will invariably drift over time, eventually causing misalignment of the seasons to the corresponding calendar months, for example. By inserting an additional day into some years, the drift between our calendar system and the physical properties of the Solar System can be corrected. Other dating systems use different methods, including the insertion of additional calendar months at regular intervals (a leap month), referred to as a lunar month.
For newer cachers this Feburary 29th may be the first opportunity to fill in that particular spot on their grid. Stop by for some coffee or hot chocolate and conversation and put some colour in that square.