What is a Leap Year?

2016 is a 'Leap Year'.

But, why do we have Leap Years?

We add an extra day to the calendar in the form of 29 February every 4 years.

Put simply, these extra 24 hours are built into our calendar to synchronize the calendar year with the solar year. The additional time, therefore, ensures that the calendar stays in line with the Earth's movement or orbit around the Sun (which is actually about 365.25 days).

The Egyptians were among the first to calculate the need for a Leap Year but the practice did not arrive in Europe until the reign of the Roman dictator Julius Caesar.

For those of you who were actually born on 29 February, enjoy your 'special day'!