Every four years people wake up expecting a beautiful March morning, yet the world is still stuck in the gloomy month of February. What significance does Feb 29 even have? 

   Rather than an exact 365 days, the earth takes 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 48 seconds to complete a full rotation around the sun. Although minute these leftover hours can add up.

   To maintain a cold Christmas and warm 4th of Julys, an extra day every 4 years creates a place for those extra 5 plus hours to go without creating a slow drift of the seasons. 

  Although a drift would be subtle, the time would begin to form a shift with the months and seasons. By the end of a person’s lifetime, memorial day would not be celebrated with beach days and grilling out. They would be spent making snowmen and drinking hot cocoa.

  Although this extra day can be a nuisance and make people’s schedules feel out of place, the day actually maintains the typical yearly schedule that the world expects.

  Even though this day is made for the people, some people still complain. I believe that those who do not appreciate this day do not realize the potential that the mindset of having extra 24 hours holds. 

  In Irish culture, they utilize the day for women to propose to their suitors, while in Taiwan, daughters are expected to cook their parents dinner that night.

  Personally, I do not use the day to do extreme tasks as propose, but rather use the extra day of the year to get caught up on all the chores that have been hanging over my head.

  Things such as cleaning under my bed or sewing up my grandpa’s clothes that have been put off for months, but the additional day gives me time, inspiration, and motivation to tackle these tasks.

  I look forward to another day in the year that allows me to start March off on the right foot and get caught up on things I haven’t had time for. I also appreciate the day making sure that my summers stay sunny and winters snowy.