2016 marks a special year this leap year. Every 28 years February is given five Mondays and Sundays.

Leap year is a tradition dating back as far as the Ancient Romans. They determined the extra day by dividing the year by four, and if it fit evenly, it was a leap year.

Today, leap year is determinded scientifically, because of the Earth’s rotation around the sun. It makes Earth’s orbit 365.242199 days per full rotation. So what happens to the extra time?

Every four years an extra day is added onto February to account for the extra time around the sun.

The odds of being born on Feb. 29 are close to 1 in 1509, making leap year birthdays the most unique and rare birthdays out of any day in the year.

Madhal Ring, sophomore, is the only person in the school, staff and student, with a leap year birthday.

“Sometimes having a leap year birthday can be weird,” Ring said.

Ring will technically be turning 4 this year, taking what would normally be a life span of 73 birthdays, down to 18 birthdays for leap year babies.

The rarity of Feb. 29 makes it a day for everyone to celebrate.

Different people celebrate leap year birthdays in different ways. Ring celebrates his birthday on Feb. 28 “every year” and keeps “pretty much the same” feel to his parties.

Leap year birthdays are celebrated in several different ways. Some people celebrate big parties every four years while some celebrate it on the Feb. 28 every year.

Regardless of how leap day is celebrated, every time it comes around, it is a special day to a lot of people.

Some traditions and even superstitions follow leap year all around the world. In Scotland, being born on a leap year is seen just as unlucky as being born on Friday the 13th in most places. It is also custom to propose or get married on leap day.