Leaplings, enjoy your brief time to shine

This year has given us plenty to be excited about. Aside from being the Year of the Dragon, London Olympics and eternal doom according to the Mayan calendar, it's also a leap year. Yes, that's right - it's one small leap for the calendar, one giant headache for the rest of us. It's a time for those precious few people born on February 29 to annoy the hell out of their unlucky friends by bragging how unique they are to be born on such an auspicious day.

If nonsense spouted by astrologers is to be believed, the so-called "leaplings" born on February 29 share a host of special talents with their Pisces brothers and sisters, with professed traits including compassion, creativity, devotion and acceptance. Perhaps more suitable traits of those who feel inclined to broadcast their birthdays to complete strangers should include insecurity, desperation and hunger for attention.

It's understandable that leaplings crave attention. The reality is they spend roughly three quarters of their lives as birthday frauds, celebrating their natal milestone on a date that bears no significance with their birth certificate.

Of course, there's always the inevitable lame jokes leaplings feel obliged to bring out every four years. "I'm really only five years old," crack obnoxious 20 year olds under the guise of humor, or "I have four years' worth of celebrations to make up for lost time." No, you don't. Have your cake and eat it along with everyone else who has a birthday every year.

Thankfully, leap years aren't hijacked by self-righteous leaplings and the Olympics. The 366-day years are also steeped in tradition, with Irish legend telling us St Bridget sealed a deal with St Patrick on February 29 to reverse gender roles in wedding proposals, forcing women to take a knee and propose to men.

It might sound like a breakthrough for gender equality, but the truth was men who refused their budding brides' requests were expected to pay a penalty, often in the form of gloves so the female suitor could conceal her engagement ring-free finger.

In another odd Celtic tradition, being born in Scotland on February 29 is considered about as lucky as being born on Friday the 13th. In Greece, couples are discouraged from marrying during a leap year because it's also deemed unlucky, however given the high cost of weddings and the country's economic woes, most couples are probably delaying their big day indefinitely.

Like many children, I grew up learning how many days are in each month by memorizing the traditional mnemonic rhyme that taught: "Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November. All the rest have 31, save February, with 28 days clear, and 29 each leap year."

Perhaps a fitting final verse could be added to include: "To all you leaplings, enjoy your birthday on a date no other can compare. But don't be upset by our utter indifference, for the truth is we just don't care!"

By Tom Fearon