Every four years our Gregorian calendar provides us with an extra day. Leap year, as it is called, or intercalary or bissextile year, contains one additional day to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical or seasonal year. (And if you understand that, please contact me.) In any event, 2012 is the year we gain an extra day, not to be confused with gaining an extra hour for Daylight Saving Time. Are you still with me?

So here it is, February 29. My first thought is about those people who were born or married on this day. We have friends in Chicago who were married on February 29, 1976, and will be celebrating their ninth anniversary if you just count leap years. A suggested gift for the ninth anniversary is pottery, while for the 36th anniversary it would be bone china. I wonder what the choice will be.

Another friend of ours who was born in leap year will be turning—depending on how you count it—sweet 16 or 64 years of age. The latter means one year away from Medicare; the former means going through the vagaries of puberty. I’d opt for Medicare.

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