The coming year 2016, designated in the Chinese calendar as the year of the Fire Monkey, is a leap year. Since ancient times, it was believed that a leap year brings misfortune and suffering. Is it really?
The main difference between a leap year and the rest is the number of days in the year. There are 366 of them, that is, one day more than in normal years. Where did he come from? The tropical year does not last exactly 365 days, but 365 plus another 5 hours and 48 minutes. Over the course of four years, the extra days accumulate.
The term "leap year" first began to be used in the Roman Empire and was introduced by Julius Caesar. In Latin it was called “bissextus”, in Greek it was pronounced “vissextus”, in Rus' - “visokos”. We added an extra day to the month of February. Later, February 29 received the name “Kasyan’s Day”, in honor of the saint, who was famous for his bad character. 
By the way, in the Jewish calendar, a leap year is a year to which a month is added rather than a day. The 19-year cycle includes 12 common years and 7 leap years.
By the way, in Europe, until the 17th century, an “extra” day was considered non-existent; no transactions were concluded on this day, so that later there would be no confusion in the papers, no problems with debt collection, etc.
February 30
From February 29th everything is clear: it is the 60th day of the leap year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 306 days left until the end of the year. But it turns out there have been cases in history when... February 30 appeared on the calendar!February 30 is a real calendar date! According to the Gregorian calendar, February has 28 days (in a leap year - 29 days). However, three times in February there were 30 days (two of them supposedly).
February 30, 1712 in Sweden
In 1699, the Kingdom of Sweden (which at that time included Finland) decided to switch from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. However, the Swedes did not move the calendar forward by the 11 days accumulated by that time, but decided to make the transition gradually, skipping leap years for 40 years, that is, all these years after February 28 should have gone to March 1 and every 4 years they are one day apart would be closer to the Gregorian calendar. Thus, 1700 was a non-leap year in Sweden.
However, despite the adopted plan, 1704 and 1708 were leap years. Because of this, for 11 years the Swedish calendar was one day ahead of the Julian calendar, but ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. In 1711, King Charles XII decided to abandon the calendar reform and return to the Julian calendar. To achieve this, two days were added in February in 1712 and thus in Sweden in 1712 it was February 30th. Sweden finally switched to the Gregorian calendar in 1753 in the usual way for all countries - the day following February 17 was declared March 1.
February 30 in 1930 and 1931 in the USSR
In 1929, it was proposed to introduce a Soviet revolutionary calendar in the USSR, where each week would have five days (five days) and each month would last 30 days or exactly six weeks. The remaining 5 or 6 days became the so-called “monthless vacation.”
It just so happened that since ancient times various disasters, catastrophes, illnesses and pestilence have been attributed to the leap year. However, scientists believe that the cause of human fears is in themselves, in human psychology. After all, in nature there is no such thing as a “leap year” - people invented it. And all the popular beliefs associated with it have no scientific basis. It has long been proven that leap years are no different from ordinary years in terms of the number of natural disasters or “man-made” disasters.
Leap years have their own sad records. For example, on February 2, 1556, a severe earthquake occurred in China, which killed 830 thousand people. And on July 28, 1976, an earthquake in East China claimed 750 thousand lives. About 100 thousand people became victims of a powerful earthquake in Ashgabat in 1948, and in 1988, 23 thousand people died from this natural disaster in Armenia.
In 1912, the Titanic sank. Leap years also include the crash of the French airliner Concorde, the sinking of the Russian submarine Kursk, and much more.
But other natural disasters and human “creations” do not fall under the magic of leap years. A massive volcanic explosion in Indonesia in 1815 killed 92,000 people. The disastrous flood that occurred in 1887 in China on the Yellow River claimed the lives of 900 thousand people. The worst cyclone in the history of recording meteorological observations in 1970 in Bangladesh took the lives of 500 thousand people...
And many such examples can be given. The years 1905, 1914, 1917, 1941, which saw the most terrible and bloody upheavals in the history of the last century, were not leap years.
So maybe it’s not about the magic of numbers at all? The only ones who really “suffer” are those born on February 29, because they have to celebrate their birthday once every four years.
Folk signs and superstitions of Leap Year
In a leap year, it is better not to start building a bathhouse.In a leap year, when leaving home for any reason or for work, they say without stepping over the threshold of their home: “I go and ride along the leap trail, I will bow to the leap year. I left the door and will return here. Amen".
In a leap year, you cannot buy “mortal” items for old people as a reserve (otherwise they will not live long).
If there are sick relatives in your house, and you are afraid that a leap year is ahead, go to church, light a candle and pray for those who have already died.
If you are in a church where a funeral service is taking place, it is better not to be nearby.
There is a custom among the people to invite people “to have a bite.” This is not done during a leap year - the child will have bad teeth.
When they hear a dog howling on a leap year, they say: “Go howl, but not to my house. Amen".
Knowledgeable people do not collect mushrooms during a leap year, do not eat them or sell them, so as not to raise something bad from the ground. Remember, mushrooms dream of coffins.
For mothers whose daughters started menstruating for the first time during a leap year, it is better not to tell anyone about it - neither a friend, nor a sister, nor a grandmother, so as not to spoil the daughter’s womanly lot.
On parents' Saturday, when they come to the cemetery in a leap year, they do not commemorate them until three people have been commemorated.
Usually on Ivan Kupala people collect herbs for treatment. And in a leap year, having come to the forest, before plucking even a blade of grass, they stand facing west and say: “Leap Father, keep the bad things for yourself, and let me take the dear ones. Amen".
If possible, you should not change your job or apartment.
At the first thunder in a leap year, they place their finger on their finger with a cross and whisper: “The whole family is with me (the names of family members are listed). Amen".
If it happens that in a leap year a person has committed a crime before the law (as they say: you can’t say no to prison and no money), then one of the prisoner’s relatives should go to church, light a candle to three saints and, leaving the church, say: “Leap year.” will leave, and the slave (name) will come home. Amen".
A prisoner in prison, saying goodbye to a leap year, must cross himself and say: “There is free will, but no bondage for me.” There will be fewer troubles and diseases in captivity. But they do it so that no one sees.
Those who are pregnant should not cut their hair before giving birth.
People who divorced on a leap year should buy a new towel and take it to church, give it to the women who wash and clean there, saying to themselves: “I pay tribute to the leap year, and you, Family Angel, stand next to me. Amen. Amen. Amen".
The worst thing, according to popular rumor, is to be born on February 29: the “lucky” one will face an unfortunate fate, an early death, or, in a “mild form”, signs of a serious illness. However, according to another belief, only selected people with the gift of prophecy are born on February 29. For example, according to astrologers, children born on February 29, 2012 will be rich and will provide their parents with a decent old age. One way or another, with all the fears of celebrating a birthday once every 4 years, there is a significant and unconditional plus - saving money!))
Revelations of the signs and superstitions of the leap year
Let's remember the most common signs and figure out where the “legs grow” in the most “fun” of them. We’ll also try to understand what you can believe and what you shouldn’t.So:
You cannot sing carols on Christmastide during a leap year.
It was believed that, on the one hand, this is how you can “skip” your happiness, and on the other, if you dress like some kind of evil spirits, then the mask can grow in and replace your true face. Well, firstly, we don’t really do caroling anyway, and secondly, have you seen a lot of people with animal faces? Literally and not figuratively? And it’s doubtful about happiness.Most likely, the appearance of this sign was influenced by the legend of the drunken Kasyan, that is, carols that turn into drunkenness can end badly - the caroler will fall into an ice hole, freeze in a snowdrift, or with his behavior will alienate his beloved girl. This is not uncommon in other years.
You can't get married on a leap year.
It is believed that a marriage entered into this year will be unhappy or very short for one reason or another. However, as you understand, happiness in marriage does not depend on the year. Everything is God’s will, and everyone has their own destiny. There are, of course, “failed” years in a personal horoscope when you should not get married, but all this is strictly individual.However, if you are so afraid of this year, do not schedule a wedding, your superstition will do its dirty work. And for the rest, we can simply recommend not to sign on February 29; after all, leap years began to be considered an unlucky year precisely because of this day.
They don't get divorced on leap years.
It is believed that if you separate from your spouse this year, you will not be able to find more personal happiness. Actually, even after a divorce, not everyone manages to get married again, for reasons that do not depend on the leap year. Yes, and the cases are different.For example, you met a person whom you loved so much that your eyes darken, and your husband is boring you to the point of gnashing your teeth, so you will stay with your husband for another year, tormenting your beloved with anticipation and your husband with the slow torture of separation? Hardly. Although, if you yourself do not want to destroy your family, and the initiator of the divorce is your spouse, then you can try to use this sign to your advantage. Maybe something will grow together.
No house is built in a leap year.
They don't build anything at all. It is believed that the house or bathhouse will burn down, and those who live in such houses will definitely get very sick. And how do you imagine this in modern realities? Once every 4 years, all construction projects are frozen for a whole year, those who have already bought apartments in buildings under construction are postponing their move indefinitely, the existing building deteriorates, materials, as usual, are stolen...Every year a lot of housing is put into operation, including those whose construction began in a leap year, and what, all these houses are on fire? Or are there mostly sick people living there? However, again, if you are very superstitious, but are planning to build a dacha or country house, wait a year. True, they won’t wait for prices...
During a leap year, guests are not invited to celebrate the first tooth.
It is believed that the baby will have bad teeth when he grows up. But I would not recommend testing this sign experimentally. Still, it’s not worth risking your child. Postpone the holiday until next year and celebrate the first tooth anniversary.
During a leap year, nothing can be changed.
It is believed that any change will only bring misfortune and disappointment. There is a rational basis for this sign, but not because a leap year is unlucky. Simply, due to the presence of an additional day, the usual picture of the world is in some way distorted, and a leap year begins a four-year period. Therefore, if your endeavors are not successful, you will “disentangle” the consequences until the next leap year.However, if you have been preparing for these changes for a long time, then you should not postpone them. The main thing is that any decision you make is balanced, so that you clearly understand the consequences of your actions and are able to minimize risks.
In a leap year there are more deaths, natural disasters, catastrophes and misfortunes.
This sign has no statistical confirmation. Most likely, it appeared due to the fact that events taking place during a leap year were given great attention due to its bad reputation. Therefore, any misfortunes, regardless of their nature, and most importantly, their causes, were attributed not to a coincidence of circumstances, but solely to the malignity of the year.And if they don’t pay attention to some troubles in another year, then any, even minor troubles are remembered precisely because they happened in a leap year. The same applies to natural disasters, crashes, accidents and deaths.
Of course, these are not all the signs about a leap year, but since they are all negative, we will focus on the above.
They argue that difficult times are bound to come. Some couples are afraid to get married or have children.
People believe that if something terrible happens, then a bad year is to blame. Is it so? What do people born in a leap year say? What signs and superstitions exist? In the article you will find answers to these and other questions related to the birth of a child.
What is a leap year
Many people remember from their school days that there are 365 days in a year. However, when leap year occurs, the situation changes. In February one more day is added. This situation occurs infrequently. Only once every 4 years in February there are not 28, but 29 days.
Since ancient times, it has been believed that a leap year is a terrible time and difficult to survive. After all, it is filled with mysticism and various beliefs, which are hard not to listen to. This is why leap year is bad.
Despite the fact that the year increases by a day, it still has 52 weeks. However, not everyone believes in omens. Many people continue to live, get married, raise and have children.
unlucky day
For a long time, February 29 was considered the most unlucky and unlucky time. Many people were afraid to go outside. It was February 29th that was Kasyanov’s day. This is such a saint who has become famous throughout the world for his bad character and malice. He didn't like helping people. Therefore, those around him did not respect him and believed that this day was named incorrectly.
Now it remains in the past as a legend. Over time, it was forgotten, but people continue to fear February 29th. If possible, many still try not to leave the house on this day.
Leap Year Child: Pros
As a rule, people's opinions differ. Some argue that 366 days a year bring misfortune, while others are sure that there are positive aspects. There is an opinion that people born in a leap year have a lot of talents. These children are a real treasure for society.
According to the eastern horoscope, if your baby was born in a leap year, especially on February 29, he will have not only high abilities, but also charisma, good academic performance, extraordinary thinking, determination and many other positive qualities.
There is another positive side to a leap year. This is an extra day, which decides a lot. Remember this before you believe in superstitions.
Leap Year Child: Cons
There are also negative sides for those born this year. Children who were born on February 29 cannot celebrate their name day every year. They have to celebrate their birthday on February 28 or March 1. If a child was born at night or before 12 noon, he can celebrate this day on February 28. Those born on a leap year celebrate their name day on March 1 after lunch.
There are also insignificant disadvantages - these are signs and superstitions that many people listen to. Therefore, during a leap year, the birth rate decreases. Young couples are still afraid to get married and postpone the wedding for a whole year to avoid troubles.
A very big disadvantage of a leap year is people's fear. It is this quality that prevents a person from relaxing throughout the year. He constantly or periodically expects something unexpected or bad. This makes it difficult for people to make plans, let alone get married or have a child.
Leap year: signs and superstitions
Superstitious people say that you cannot change plans during a leap year. This applies to changing housing, work, and even hair color. They are also sure that if a pregnant woman cuts her hair this year, instead of a gifted child, a mentally retarded one will be born. Therefore, many are sure that a leap year is very dangerous. Signs and superstitions confirm this.
There is a superstition: childbirth during such a period is more painful and difficult. However, doctors have dispelled this myth. They claim that everything depends on the woman’s body and her state of health. Leap year has nothing to do with childbirth.
Some mothers are interested in: “Is it possible to give birth to a child in a leap year?” As mentioned above, these children are more talented, intelligent, resourceful and cunning. It is easy for such people to make their way in life. Therefore, you should not believe in prejudices. If a woman is already pregnant, you can safely give birth to a child in a leap year.
There is an opinion that this year you should not tell fortunes or carol. This is how you play with dark forces. It is considered to be a very dangerous activity.
Leap year children, as noted, are considered gifted people. Especially those born on February 29th. These children are not afraid of both fires and floods. Any disaster bypasses them.
When your baby's first tooth appears, don't celebrate this momentous occasion. After all, very bad molars may grow in the future.
Never talk about your plans. It is believed that you renounce them in advance. This year, envy plays a big role. To get rid of the anger of others, psychics advise getting caught in the first rain in a leap year.
What astrologers and psychics say
Astrologers urge you not to believe in all of the above. They claim that a leap year does not change anything. Every person should think about the good, not the bad. After all, as you know, thoughts materialize.
Psychic Alena Orlova claims that a leap year is a normal period of time. He just has a slightly different energy, which gives a person more strength and opportunity.
Astrologer and numerologist Lev Oesterlein is convinced that a leap year does not bring any negativity. He advises people not to focus on this, but to plan some important thing for February 29 that you keep putting off.
Shaman Beloslov Kolovrat believes that a leap year is the best event. After all, one more extra day a year provides more opportunities.
Psychologists advise not to take all signs and superstitions seriously. After all, you will live in fear and anticipation of the worst events for a whole year. Try to think only about the good as often as possible, ignore failures and believe that you will definitely succeed.
Conclusion
As mentioned above, people born in a leap year are endowed with many talents, they have a good sense of others and have heightened intuition. It is February 29th that is an additional day that can be very useful and gives people even more opportunities.
If you do not believe in signs and superstitions, then the leap year will be very successful. The main thing is not to pay attention to various prejudices that instill excessive fear in a person.
If a child born in a leap year turns out to be sick or with physical disabilities, mothers immediately remember the unfavorable period. However, it is worth remembering that every doctor is convinced that successful childbirth depends on the woman’s body and hereditary predisposition. Therefore, you should not blame the leap year for all your problems. After all, this is a life that is full of not only good, but also bad surprises.
Вis sextus - “second sixth”, Kasyanov (Kassianov) year, leap year, bisectus year, according to legend, was introduced by Emperor Julius Caesar. It was he who, back in 45 BC. e. introduced the calendar developed by Alexandrian astronomers. They calculated that the astronomical year is not exactly 365 days, but 365 and 6 hours. Three years included 365 days, and for each multiple of four, Julius Caesar ordered an additional day to be added in February. This is how the day February 29 appeared, and a year with 366 days began to be called bis sextus (bisextus, leap year).
In the Julian calendar, every fourth year is a leap year; in the Gregorian calendar, there are exceptions to this rule: years that end in “00” and are not divisible by 400 are not leap years.
Over time, the Latin b was replaced by the Russian “v”. In the Julian calendar, every fourth year is a leap year; in the Gregorian calendar there are exceptions to this rule: years that end in “00” and are not divisible by 400 are not leap years. And if the 1600th was a leap year for everyone, then the 1700th, 1800th th and 1900th - only for Russia.
In many Slavic countries, the extra day began to be called “Kasyan’s day” - in memory of the former angel Kasyan (Cassian), who blabbed to the demons about God’s plans and was punished for this: for three years in a row he was beaten on the forehead, and on the fourth he was lowered to Earth to bathe sins and do good. If one of the many legends about leap years is true, then it is not the leap year that we should be afraid of, but the other three years, because it was in the leap year that the expelled fallen angel was supposed to do good deeds.
However, something didn’t work out for Kasyan - even once every four years he couldn’t be a good angel. Either three years of punishment in the form of tapping a spoon on the forehead had taken their toll, or from the start he was inept and mischievous. This is where the signs came from: “No matter what Kasyan looks at, everything withers,” “Kasyan came, went to limp and break everything,” “Kasyan will mow everything down with a scythe.” This is probably where the belief arose that you shouldn’t think of anything good in the Year of Kasyanov - it will ruin and destroy everything anyway.
In Ancient Rus', on the eve of the beginning of the leap year, on the evening of December 31, you had to go out into the street and try to appease Kasyan - at least bow to all four sides.
In Ancient Rus', on the eve of the beginning of the leap year, on the evening of December 31, you had to go out into the street and try to appease Kasyan - at least bow to all four sides. When the year was already approaching, it was believed that it was necessary to sit it out as quietly as possible, not to plan any cardinal events: a change of job, weddings, major acquisitions. Even funerals this year were held in a special way: close relatives of the deceased were not allowed to see the body, they were forbidden to carry the coffin and even touch the furniture on which the coffin stood. It was believed that the deceased would drag a loved one with him.
True, the Russian Orthodox Church has a different opinion about Kasyan. The priests claim that there was no fallen angel, but a very real Saint Cassian. He lived in the 5th century and was known as a preacher of pious living. There was even his official day of veneration - February 29, old style. According to representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church, this is why this day is called Kasyanov. And a negative attitude towards the righteous man was formed precisely because he is revered during leap years. Then legends about Kasyan’s betrayal and other folk tales allegedly appeared in Slavic countries.
There is also a completely different version - that in ancient times no one bothered with the problems of a leap year and only the last 100 years began to be afraid of it. The fact is that until 1918 Russia lived according to the Julian calendar, and not the Gregorian one, while others countries have lived by it since 1582.
What happened in leap years
In total, over the past 100 years, no more than two or three dozen truly serious events have been recorded in the world during leap years: disasters, man-made accidents, high-profile deaths. In 1908, the Tunguska meteorite fell, in 1912 the Titanic sank... In 1960, a powerful 9.5-magnitude earthquake occurred in Chile, and in 1976, as a result of the terrible Tien Shan earthquake of magnitude 7.9, 750 thousand people died. In leap year 1996, the TV tower in Ostankino caught fire, in 2000 the Kursk submarine sank, and there was a terrorist attack in the underground passage on Pushkinskaya Square in Moscow.
In total, over the past 100 years, no more than two or three dozen truly serious events have been recorded in the world during leap years: disasters, man-made accidents, high-profile deaths.
However, if you look at the statistics of other global incidents and disasters, it is obvious that they occur not only in leap years, but also in any other years. People die, get divorced and die in terrible road accidents, wars begin and end, planes crash. You can console yourself with the fact that it is during leap years that the Olympic Games are always held - and that’s okay, everyone is happy. In the USA, presidents are elected every 4 years - by the way, such an event will happen in 2016, and by who becomes the first person in the USA, it will be possible to judge whether this leap year is good or bad.
Psychologists advise all people who are suspicious and frightened by the year of Kasyan to remember that if you convince yourself that something bad will certainly happen in a leap year, then this bad thing can really happen.
“Many of our problems and troubles come from the head. Including due to following the old Russian habit of blaming the sick head on the healthy one. Someone was negligent, there was a fire or, say, a train derailed - so, instead of checking fire safety or tightening the right nut, people nod: “No one is to blame - it’s all a leap year,” says psychologist Oleg Derbenev. “In general, by the way, one of the greats said that the desire to attribute success or failure not to good deeds, noble impulses, not to the movement of the mind and soul, but to days, comes from the unclean.”
So everything will be fine. Happy New Year!
In folk myth-making, the leap year is of great importance - signs and superstitions about it were formed for the sake of protection from its harmful influence on people's lives. Find out what you can and can't do during this time.
Beliefs about wedding and divorce
Leap year is still considered an unlucky and difficult period for personal life. Wedding signs prohibited from marrying - the union will be short-lived, there will be quarrels and betrayals. One of the spouses may die soon. If you were unable to reschedule the wedding, get married in a church and before the ceremony say:
I am crowned with a crown, not a leap end.
It is undesirable to change your life partner - someone divorced during a leap year will never be able to improve their personal life. It was not possible to avoid a break; you need to take a new towel to the church and leave it there with the words:
Leap year, I pay tribute to you. Family angel, stand next to me.
Relationships that started in "Year of Kasyan", they will not be happy. According to signs, people who started dating at this time will often quarrel and cheat on each other.
About pregnancy in a leap year, childbirth and children
In the old days, pregnant women were forbidden to do laundry. Even now, doctors do not advise those expecting a child to wash by hand; this process is associated with unwanted physical activity.
Many legends about those born February 29. They are considered gifted magicians. But a number of signs about a leap year warn of the unhappy fate of those born on Kasyanov’s day. You can neutralize it by asking to register your baby for another date. There is no delay in baptizing a child; only blood relatives of the father or mother are taken as godparents.
In the old days, everyone born on a leap year, regardless of the date, was considered unlucky. If a son resembles his mother more than his father, the superstition was considered unfulfilled. If the girl inherited her father's traits, too.
Signs and superstitions about leap years prohibit observing customs associated with. If you ignore the ban and invite guests, teething will be difficult. Even in adulthood, dental problems will be constant.
Everyday superstitions
In the old days, it was believed that during a leap year, negative energy from the earth goes into the sky. Mushrooms absorb it well, so they cannot be collected. There is a rational explanation for the superstition - the mycelium is renewed every four years.
Selling animals means poverty. You can give for free, refusing even symbolic payment. When slaughtering a bird, every third one must be given to those whom you wish well. Do not drown kittens and puppies so that pestilence does not attack domestic animals. Leap Day punishes the death of innocent souls.
It is not advisable to plant or replant plants. This is especially true for birch or pine - to death. But if necessary, during the first planting of the year, say:
On a leap year, it's time to die.
Juniper in the garden protects against evil spirits. She is especially active in the “year of Kasyan”, so it is worth thinking about magical security. Those living in apartments can use the essential oil of this plant.
What else can't be done
It is better to postpone any undertakings until next year. It is not recommended to start building a house, bathhouse or outbuilding. It is believed that the building will not stand for long, it will burn or collapse. Even moving to a rented apartment is undesirable; there will be no happiness in the new place.
Opening a business, investing money in a new source of profit, or changing jobs is not the best idea. Serious purchases will not bring good things. Leave purchasing a car or apartment until better times. Strive to make this year the same as the previous one, and misfortunes will pass you by. Avoid change. It is better to postpone even changing your hair color.
They avoid talking about their plans at any time. But in a leap year there is strength evil eye much more noticeable than usual. Don't jinx what you have. It is difficult to get back what you lost during this time.
Travel and travel are undesirable; it is better to spend a difficult period of 366 days at home. In the old days, they tried to avoid the need to go on a journey. But if three monks or nuns meet on the road, the road will be successful.
There is no caroling during a leap year. The evil spirit is especially active, it is too easy to attract its attention. Dressing up as a representative of evil spirits means trouble. On Ivan Kupala they collect herbs for magic and healing with the following sentence:
Leap year, take away the negative for yourself, and give me the positive!
Good signs about leap year
Going to jail in a leap year is not as scary as in a normal year. The maximum period for a prisoner to return home is at the end of the year. Even an inveterate criminal will be acquitted or released under an amnesty if his blood relatives light candles for his health in church and pray in front of the icons.
Getting caught in the first rain of the year means success and monetary gain. True, you need to find yourself in the rain by accident; going out into the raindrops on purpose is useless. Seeing a rainbow is a good omen even in an unlucky calendar period.
Receiving a round decoration as a gift is a good superstition. This is a talisman that was originally intended to protect you from evil in difficult times from the point of view of superstition. You can purchase such jewelry, but a personal amulet purchased is weaker than a gift.
Our ancestors considered leap year a difficult time. There are a lot of bad omens about him. They are designed to teach new generations the correct behavior in this dangerous period.
“In short, my dears... We have an extra day ahead of us!” - How can we not remember this famous phrase of Baron Munchausen on the eve of the 2016 leap year!
For some reason, most people are not at all happy about an extra day of the year. After all, there is a belief that leap years bring all sorts of misfortunes... What is this “accusation” based on and is it justified? Let's find out!
Caesar's calendar
Ancient astronomers calculated that a complete revolution of the Earth around the Sun was 365 days, 6 hours and 9 minutes. Over the course of 4 years, hours and minutes accumulate an extra day, which Julius Caesar, reforming the calendar, ordered to be inserted between February 23 and 24.
Since the Romans counted days not from the beginning of the month, but from future calendars (the first day of the next month), the new day, set a week before the March calendars, began to be called “the second sixth in relation to the March calendars” (diembissextusadcalendasmartii). Later, this strange expression - “bis sextus”, that is, “second sixth” - in Russian turned into the adjective “leap year”. And when the days in months began to be counted from the first numbers, the “extra day” migrated from February 24 to the 29th.
From Koshchei to Kasyan
The tradition of considering a leap year unfavorable exists only in Russia. True, in medieval Europe they also did not like February 29 - they tried not to schedule serious events on it, from concluding marriages and transactions to declaring war. But the point is not mysticism at all, but a desire to avoid legal troubles (this day did not exist on paper!).
In Rus', on February 29, they celebrated the feast of Saint Cassian of Dobruja, a warrior who beat pagans on the borders of the Roman Empire, then became a monk and founded several monasteries in the south of France. But gradually in Slavic culture Kasyan turned almost into a demon! The sayings alone are worth it: “Kasyan looks at the grass - the grass withers, at the cattle - the cattle dies, at the tree - the tree dries up. If you look at the people, it’s hard for the people.” The innocent Kasyan fell victim to superstition, and all because before him that day in Rus' was called Koshcheev and was considered the darkest of the year, because the evil god Koschey demanded sacrifices, including human ones! And unintelligible popular rumor then “rewarded” the sinless Kasyan Koshchei with a harsh disposition - and with him the entire leap year.
9 secrets of leap year
According to the eastern calendar, the next leap year is the Fire Monkey. This is the ninth sign of the Chinese horoscope, and a lucky sign, since the number 9 symbolizes incompleteness, the possibility of growth and development, conception and continuation. In a word, the Monkey does not foretell misfortunes and troubles!
In addition, historically the most terrible and tragic events did not fall on leap years. I remember 1908 as a calm and well-fed year, the first year in the 20th century to pass under the sign of the Monkey. 1920 marked the end of the bloody Civil War. 1932 was a short and bright respite between the horrors of industrialization, which had just ended, and the terror that was supposed to begin 5 years later, in 1937. The next “monkey” year - 1944 - although it fell during wartime, it marked positive changes - from the lifting of the blockade of Leningrad to the expulsion of the fascists from the borders of the then USSR.
1956 stands apart - it is the only year of the Fire Monkey in the entire last century. And he was one of the happiest in the 20th century: the famous “thaw” began, the Soviet people tasted freedom for the first time.
1968 shocked only Czechoslovakia; in 1980, Moscow hosted the first Olympics in Russian history. In 1992, grocery store shelves began to fill with food (albeit at extremely high prices, but still...).
Golden time
In the East, it is believed that among all the zodiac animals, the Monkey has the sharpest and most resourceful mind. Since ancient times, the Chinese have attributed to her the talents of a player who can outplay anyone...
The Monkey patronizes people who are passionate and purposeful, ready to make a great sacrifice - for the sake of an even greater goal.
For all his remarkable cunning, the Monkey (after all, a player!) acts honestly, without “set-ups”, without breaking the rules - however, he often pulls the blanket over himself. All these qualities will appear in the coming year - it will be a golden time for passionate, active people and will probably turn out to be “gray” for everyone else.
The hostess of 2016 has a fiery character! And fire, as you know, increases talents and energy, which stimulates the ability to take active and decisive action - therefore, in the coming year the impossible will become possible!
It turns out that fears about the leap year 2016 are in vain. On the contrary, there are indications that it will be a turning point - in the positive sense of the word. However, if our arguments do not convince you, you can continue to be afraid - and, perhaps, end up missing the most important chance in life!
Did you know?
That all the Monkey years in history were leap years, and all of them, if analyzed, were favorable and brought positive changes in different areas of life?
