Hey, Leapers!
Every four years, our calendars do something extraordinary—they gain an extra day! This day, February 29th, is a rare treat! To celebrate, we’re appropriately taking $29 off our camp trunks if you purchase your trunk today on Leap Day. Take your pick from our wide selection of our Traditional Steel Trunks, Designer Trunks, and even our Pop Up Soft Trunks.
Have you ever wondered why we call it a ‘leap’ year, though? After all, it doesn't seem like we're leaping anywhere, right? So why LEAP Day?
Well, the technical term for inserting extra time into a calendar is called ‘intercalation’—say that five times fast. I’m not even sure how to pronounce it one time! Since this word doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, people have opted to call it something a bit catchier. But how’d we land on the word ‘leap’?
Well, typically, as we move from year to year, a date will advance by one day of the week. For instance, if Christmas fell on a Sunday one year, you'd expect it to land on a Monday the next year, following a gradual, one-day progression.
During a leap year, however, something different happens. The calendar takes a bold leap ahead, advancing each date not by one, but by two days of the week! For example, this last Christmas graced us on a Monday. Fast forward to Christmas at the end of this year, 2024, and it will leap right over Tuesday and fall perfectly on a Wednesday!
So, the term Leap Year is essentially a nod to this phenomenon. It highlights the calendar's dramatic jump, where dates sprint ahead by two days, instead of their usual one-day stride.
But why do we need this extra day every four years? Well, our calendars work pretty well. They’re not perfect, though. In order to keep in sync with the cycles of heavenly bodies, we add this extra day to the end of February every four years.
So, the next time you witness this rare occurrence of February 29th on your calendar, remember that it's not just any day—it's a LEAP day, when our calendar makes a jump to keep pace with the grand cosmic ballet. Thanks for reading, Camp Folks. And, as always, Happy Camping!
- John