Leap year 2024: Google marks 'Leap Day' with doodle on 29 February

Google is celebrating Leap Day on Thursday, February 29, with a doodle. The Google doodle on Thursday featured a frog with the number 29 marked on it jumping from one side of what seems to be a pond to another.

"Ribbiting news, it's Leap Day! Leap Day, February 29th, only occurs about every four years, to keep our calendars in alignment with the Earth and sun… Enjoy this bonus day of February — Happy Leap Day!" Google wrote along with the doodle image on its site.

Along with the doodle, Google also shared some interesting facts like information on its very first doodle, the first doodle series, doodle for Bastille Day celebrations in the year 2000 and the like which unfurls into 'a trip down the memory lane'.

Google had previously shared a Leap Day doodle in February 2020. Speaking of the Leap Day illustration, the Google Doodle page said, "Today's Doodle is jumping for joy on Leap Day, the 29th day of February that only occurs about every four years, to keep our calendars in alignment with the Earth and sun."

"We HOP you have a good one-Happy Leap Day!" it added.

Leap Day which arrives every four years on February 29 is observed in various solar calendars including the Gregorian calendar.

A leap day occurs in years that are multiples of four. The date -- February 29 -- is added to most years that are divisible by 4, such as 2024, 2028 and 2032. Leap day occurs when the Earth's orbit around the Sun exceeds about six hours beyond a typical 365-day year. To address this misalignment, leap days are incorporated into different solar calendars, with the Gregorian calendar being the predominant choice globally.

Across the globe, people celebrate Leap Day with peculiar customs, folklore, and superstitions. Individuals born on February 29 are also called "leaplings."

In certain legal frameworks, like English law, if someone is born on February 29, their official birthday is recognized as March 1 in non-leap years. This legal clarification guarantees individuals born on Leap Day maintain a consistent birthdate for administrative matters.