Today I wished some friends a happy birthday. Nothing too unusual about that, except this is the first time in four years it’s been completely accurate for this group.
It’s a Leap Year, so those born on this particular day actually get to celebrate the way the rest of us do on our birthday every year. Taken literally though, this is a group that looks far older than the years they are marking.
Those born on Feb. 29, spend the majority of their lives commemorating the occasion one day before or on March 1. I know in the big scheme of things this is fairly low on the list of life’s problems. Besides usually having choices is nice. But I honestly think in this case either alternative would be a bit strange.
Since a Leap Year baby wasn’t here on Feb. 28, it doesn’t seem ideal to celebrate that day. The flip side though is to celebrate your February birth the next month. I know, having been born in September, I consider myself a September baby and wouldn’t be too keen on that.
The Feb. 29 celebrants I’ve known, or have heard talked about, seem equally divided in their choice. And none appear particularly upset about being forced to pick a day rather than the actual birthday. It is, what it is I guess.
Sadly, there are plenty of other concerns that go along with this strange birthday. Official documents can be problematic as renewal notices have come to my friends for a date that doesn’t exist. Also, websitess often don’t include Feb. 29 in dropdown boxes.
On the plus side, they apparently are able to get into bars one day before they legally are of age because most bouncers don’t know what to do about it. And, stupid jokes and comments from others aside, what fun it must be to tell people your age. An acquaintance born in 1952 never gets tired of this and is pretty excited to finally be 16 this year.
So, while the rest of us go along choosing to celebrate our birthdays on the date of our birth, I thought it might be nice to honour those among us who really only get that opportunity once every four years. Here are some awesome birthday illustrations for our Leap Year babies:
iCLIPART.com Birthday Illustrations
Clipart.com Happy Birthday Illustrations
