It is the emblematic day of leap years. This Thursday, February 29, only exists every four years, in order to balance the time it takes for the Earth to revolve around the Sun. The opportunity for those born on this date to celebrate their birthday in a special way.
On this occasion, franceinfo lists six things to know about this extra day.
1 This date causes bugs in certain software
It’s a hiccup that has left motorists in trouble. All self-service fuel pumps in New Zealand are closed on Thursday due to a “software problem” linked to the leap year. In New Zealand’s capital, Wellington, some stations have closed completely. Customers found themselves in front of signs reading: “Nationwide payment outage – site unavailable.”
“It appears to be a software issue with the payment service provider because it is February 29, a leap year”, declared the spokesperson for the Gull fuel distribution group. Its competitor, Allied Petroleum, says it faces a similar problem, adding that “staffed gas stations” gradually reopen. Another company, Z, apologized to customers: “We would like to assure you that we are working closely with our payment service provider to resolve this issue as quickly as possible.”
Already, in 2000, February 29 had caused fears. At the time, in Bulgaria, police computers had been temporarily blocked, as had the weather services in Japan, the coast guard message archiving system in the United States and, in Canada, the security service. Montreal municipal taxes, according to AFP archives. In Paris, the computer system of the parking meters had to be corrected machine by machine, because it did not predict February 29, 2000. In fact, 2000 could not have been a leap year, since years that are multiples of 100 are not… unless they are also multiples of 400, like 2000 (or 1600 or 2400). You follow ?
2 She gives an original birthday to around 30,000 people in France
Aging four times slower than others. This is what Michèle Morgan, born February 29, 1920, died at 96, praised. The French actress considered this birthday as a “privilege”, “the first in the long series of strokes of luck throughout [son] existence”. The Italian composer Rossini, the French actor Gérard Darmon, the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, the American rapper Ja Rule or the Canadian comedian Sugar Sammy… They all share this unusual birth day.
With a one in 1,506 chance of being born on February 29, only a few million people in the world have this original date of birth. Precisely, 27,832 in France since 1968, according to INSEE data. In the United States, on the border with Mexico, those born on February 29 are entitled to a dedicated festival, in the small Texan town of Anthony, self-proclaimed world capital of leap years since 1988.
But not everyone sees it as an opportunity, according to the numerous testimonies collected by France 3 Hauts-de-France. “When you’re a teenager, it can be unpleasant,” deplores Sabrina Czaban-Forycki. Errors can also be made by school, taxes or Social Security.
“When I declared the birth of my daughter to the CAF, they sent me papers with February 28 as the date of birth. I called to report the error, the lady on the phone answered me ‘ But it doesn’t exist, February 29!’, she didn’t want to give up and I had to ask to speak to her manager to resolve the situation!
Anne Evrard, mother of a daughter born on February 29at France 3 Hauts-de-France
Loïc Guillot, also interviewed by France 3, decided to laugh about it: “I don’t find it a hassle, but rather fun with jokes like ‘you don’t exist’, ‘the calendar forgot you again this year’, ‘you wait until midnight on the 28th and then nothing.. .”.
3 It’s the release day of “La Bougie du Sapeur”
This is the twelfth issue in forty-four years. The Sapper’s Candleonly four-yearly daily to be published every February 29 in France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland, has been available on newsstands since late Wednesday. Born from a gag in 1980, this satirical newspaper was called The Sapper’s Candle in reference to a comic strip character created at the end of the 19th century, Sapeur Camember, whose birthday fell on February 29.
The 20-page newspaper, sold for 4.90 euros, alternates real and false interviews, as well as more or less serious comments on the news of the last four years. It survives thanks to a team of around ten volunteers, some of whom are journalists. This year, it features artificial intelligence on the front page and headlines: “We’re all going to get smart.” It also includes a supplement The Sports Sapper before the Paris Olympics, where it is assured that“we are going to dismantle the Eiffel Tower”.
The Sapper’s Candle is printed in 200,000 copies for this edition and the previous one sold 120,000 copies. Sales allow this advertising-free newspaper to finance its next issue. It also donates part of its revenue to the “A tire d’aile” association, which supports autistic and epileptic people.
4 It is not synonymous with an additional paid day on your pay slip.
Work one more day to earn more? Well no. Although February 29 falls on a Thursday this year, which is a working day, nothing will change on the pay slip. Because most employment contracts provide for monthly remuneration “in order to neutralize the consequences of the unequal distribution of days between the 12 months of the year”, underlines the Ministry of Labor. So, “the Labor Code provides for the payment each month of a determined remuneration regardless of the number of days in the month”.
The objective of this monthly payment, generalized via a 1978 law, is therefore to maintain an employee’s remuneration the same, including if they have not worked on a public holiday. “Note that monthly payments do not benefit everyone. Home workers, seasonal workers or intermittent workers are excluded,” recalls BFMTV.
A reality that Lukino, a graphic designer from Montpellier (Hérault), who founded the February 29 liberation movement, regrets. Born himself on February 29, in 1964, he campaigns for this date to become a public holiday. According to him, leap year or not, this day is not paid in most contracts, so he might as well be off work. “Annualized salaries are calculated over 365 days. Whether you work on February 29 or not, you are not paid more,” he declared in 2016 to France 3 Occitanie.
5 It’s International Rare Disease Day
A rare day for illnesses that are just as rare. This Thursday, February 29 marks the 17th edition of International Rare Disease Day. The objective is to raise awareness of the consequences of these diseases in the daily lives of those affected and their loved ones. According to the Ministry of Health, in France, the 6,000 to 8,000 rare diseases identified to date each affect fewer than 30,000 people, or 4.5% of the population. Due to their cumulative number, it is estimated that 3 to 4 million French people are directly affected among the 30 million Europeans affected. The Rare Disease Alliance, which brings together more than 240 patient associations, has designed a unique tricolor ribbon, emblem of the cause, in the colors of the day.
6 It is an opportunity to celebrate an old tradition in Ireland
For their part, the Irish perpetuate an old tradition, which dates back to the 5th century. She makes February 29 the “Bachelor’s Day” Or “Ladies Privilege” : the day when women could propose to men in marriage. A refusal was rewarded with a gift, according to some, or with a fine, according to others.
In 2010, this inspired Give me your hand (Leap Year), a romantic comedy with Amy Adams… designated “worst film of the year” speak Time Magazine. In 2004, the Irish government paid a bonus of 100 euros for children born on this extra day. A way to mark the tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Family, declared in 1994 by the United Nations.