[Kickass Conservative]

Because if we didn’t there would be no Leap Nights?

[beaversmom]

Say that again.

[Jonty30]

This is an entertaining way to explain it.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?gl=CA&hl=en&client=mv-google&v=56zlm9qhVGc

[muir_redwoods]

We need leap year because there is no connection whatsoever between the rotation of the earth and it’s orbit around the sun. Remember that the next time someone starts feeding you the Cosmic Watchmaker line.

[BigCinBigD]

Because fireworks look like crap in a blizzard?

[knarf]

So I can have a birthday, newbie !

[Psalm 73]

"The extra day must be added to every fourth calendar year...."

Yes, we know THAT, but why February and not, say June 31st or July 32nd?
Those are months we wouldn't mind being longer - living in New England, I would be Ok with a shorter February, maybe 21 days....

[raybbr]

I just want to know how I can add that six hours into my sleep time?

[norwaypinesavage]

This also explains why George Washington has two birthdays. On the day he was born, the calendar said it was February 11. However, the accrued errors from the Julian calendar made the day to be February 22 when England switched to the Gregorian calendar. Now the geniuses in Washington DC declare it to be the third Monday in February, making it to be in error most of the time, and don't even call it George Washington's birthday any more.

[Jack Hydrazine]

This girl doesn’t understand leap years.
(warning: bad language)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=pK-frJtGrt4

[ALPAPilot]

So women like Sandra Fluke can get a date.

[crosshairs]

We need Leap Year now so that we have to put up with Black History month for an extra day every 4 years.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Solar time is a reckoning of the passage of time based on the Sun's position in the sky. The fundamental unit of solar time is the day. Two types of solar time are apparent solar time (sundial time) and mean solar time (clock time).

A solar year (also known as a tropical year), for general purposes, is the length of time that the Sun takes to return to the same position in the cycle of seasons, as seen from Earth.

Sidereal time, the amount of time required for the earth to make a complete rotation around its axis is 23 hours, 56 minutes and four seconds (23:56:04) instead of 24 hours (24:00:00)

A leap year (or intercalary or bissextile year) is a year containing one additional day (or, in the case of lunisolar calendars, a month) in order to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical or seasonal year.

[chae]

When I was a kid, I read somewhere that the reason a year is such a screwy number is explained biblically. In the Bible there are passages, but I can only remember one, where an Israeli general prayed to God that night wouldn’t occur during a batlle, because then the enemy would be able to flee. God obliged and kept the sun from setting until the battle was done. TDon’t know if that’s why we have an extra day, but it works for me.

[MarkL]

I suggest that we adopt the Jewish lunar calendar. That way you do away with a "leap day." Instead they have a "leap month." A second month of "Adar." Much easier.

Mark