28+1 = ….. 29 February
Today it’s the 29th February!
2016 is the Leap Year. It comes every 4 years and it always gives us one day more.
The first who introduces these 24 hours was Caesar and the Romans in 46 A.C.
Then Pope Gregory XIII decided to reorganize these hours and to introduce this measurement system with a another day in the month of February in order to avoid delays in the calendars.
29th February has always been considered a particular day and those people who believe in good luck don’t like this day very much. The Maya population had predicted the end of the world in 2012, which was the last leap year and the Romans dedicated this day and all the month of February to the deads.
In Italy there are many negative ways of saying referred to the leap year, for example:”Anno bisesto… Anno funesto” (Leap Year, Baleful Year), “Anno bisesto, tutte le cose van di traverso” (in the leap year, everything goes wrong), “Anno bisestile, chi piange, chi stride” ( in the leap year, someone laughs and someone else cries), but don’t worry, because it’s not always true!
In some other places, the leap year and the day of 29 is considered in a positive way. For example in the English tradition, it’s the perfect day to make the marriage proposal, if the women make it!
This rule was introduced by San Patrick and the men who receive it, can’t easily refuse. In fact during the period of Queen Mary of Scotland in 1200, those men who refused the proposal by their women, were obliged to pay a fee.
In the North of Europe, the men who don’t accept the proposal, have to refund the women with 12 pairs of gloves. Each of them for every single month of the year and they are necessary to conver the hand of the poor women, who hadn’t received the engagement ring.
Youn Brides are warned!
