Who Gives A Gift?

 

Today is Leap Day!

A leap year, also known as intercalary or bissextile year, is a year with one extra day added to our calendar or common year.  Because the earth does not orbit around the sun in precisely 365 days, over time, seasonal events drift off the timing of the 365 day calendar. By adding this extra day, we keep these events on track.

In folk traditions, women may propose marriage only on leap day.  While details of this tradition vary from culture to culture, it is said that Queen Margaret of Scotland , at age five, passed a law in 1288 that would fine a man who refused a woman’s proposal a payment ranging from a kiss to money to a silk gown. Watch out guys!

Technically, babies born on Leap Day are known as “leaplings” and will have a quarter less birthdays and anniversaries than their actual years!  Aren’t we jealous!  Leaplings celebrate on either February 28^th or March 1^st.

Some famous people born on February 29 include:

1468 – Pope Paul III (d. 1549)

1792 – Gioacchino Rossini, Italian composer (William Tell, The Barber of Seville) (d. 1868)

1896 – Morarji Desai, former Indian prime minister (d. 1995)

1916 – Dinah Shore, American singer (d. 1994)

1924 – Al Rosen, American baseball player

1924 – Carlos Humberto Romero, former president of El Salvador

1960 – Anthony (Tony) Robbins, American motivational speaker

1964 – Lyndon Byers, Canadian hockey player

1972 – Antonio Sabàto Jr, Italian-born actor

1976 – Ja Rule, American rapper and actor

1980 – Chris Conley, American musician and songwriter/composer

Here’s an interesting bit of Leap Day trivia:

A Norwegian family named Henriksen from Andenes holds the official record of number of children born on February 29. Mrs. Karin Henriksen gave birth to 3 children on consecutive February 29; her daughter Heidi in 1960 and her sons Olav and Leif-Martin in 1964 and 1968 respectively.

So do you know a new baby that was born or will be born today? Welcome this little bundle of joy with a gift that will commemorate this auspicious occasion.

At LBMGifts.com, one of our most popular baby gifts is the custom handmade baby pillows!

Artfully designed and skillfully stitched, each pillow is a wonderfully unique keepsake!  Baby’s family name, given name, birth date and weight  are whimsically hand stitched beneath an adorable stick figure holding a bottle. Each piece is adorned with a vintage one of a kind button and signed by the artist.

Another great gift idea for a leap day baby is our custom decoupage baby frame.

Also handmade, this frame is personalized with baby’s name , birth date and weight.. The frame is covered in a cloud blue or delicate pink over white and detailed with baby foot prints in the lower left corner outlined in silver leaf. Just pop in your favorite 4×6 photo!

Congratulations to all our Leap Day babies!  Welcome to the world!