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This is seen as something of a Leap Year tradition. Shutterstock/Antonio Guillem
29 february

Quiz: Are these real or fake Leap Year traditions?

Some are real. Some are nonsense. Can you tell which ones?
9.00pm, 8 Feb 2020
28.3k
3

THIS FEBRUARY IS going to be a day longer than the last one. And the one before that. And the one before that. But not the one before that.

This month has 29 days because it’s a leap year.

There’s a bunch of reasons dating back centuries as to how we’ve come to have an extra day in February every four years, but that’s not what this quiz is about.

This quiz is about whether or not these Leap Year traditions are real. Best of luck!

In Scotland, if you're born on the 29th February it was believed you'd live a life of horrible suffering.
Real
Fake
Sweden and Finland once celebrated a 30th of February because they'd gotten their calendar all mixed up.
Real
Fake
Russians think that if you see a set of twins on 29 February, you're set for bad luck until the next 29 February.
Real
Fake
A man who turns down a marriage proposal on 29 February in France must give up a) a lock of his hair or b) a fifth of his family's livestock to the woman's family.
Real
Fake
In Denmark, if a man turned down a marriage proposal on 29 February he must give the woman 12 pairs of gloves so she can hide the fact she has no ring.
Real
Fake
The Latin translation for leap year literally means "accursed year" because Julius Caesar once stubbed his toe on 29 February and cursed the whole year as a result.
Real
Fake
In Greece, it's considered unlucky if you get married on any day during a leap year.
Real
Fake
In Taiwan, a woman who is turned down after a leap day proposal must still arrange and attend her own wedding ceremony without a groom present.
Real
Fake
In Germany, women who fancy a man put small trees in the garden outside his house on leap years.
Real
Fake
Ancient Celtic tradition saw any sheep born on 29 February revered and granted a place of honour within the community.
Real
Fake
Answer all the questions to see your result!
You scored out of !
Top dog!
Full marks
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You scored out of !
Clever cat
Almost purrfect
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You scored out of !
Fintastic
A good effort
Share your result:
You scored out of !
What are ewe doing!?
Baaaaaaad
Share your result:
You scored out of !
Turtley awful
A shell of a bad effort
Share your result:

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Author
Sean Murray
sean@thejournal.ie
@SeanMJourno
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