Leaped Ahead

| Mar 6, 2020

One Maine West student has finally turned four.
Counting down the days to a birthday is nothing but exciting especially for those born on Feb. 29, also known as a leap day; their birthday officially comes every four years.
A leap day is an additional day put into the calendar to ensure that our year lines up with the Earth’s movement around the sun. Although our typical calendar holds 365 days, the Earth orbits the sun in 365.2421 days. To make sure that our astronomical year is consistent, an extra day is added every four years to make up for the lost time.
The chance of one having a leap year birthday is 1 in 1,461, according to History.com, and sophomore Anthony Sylvester falls into that category. Born on February 29, 2004, last month Sylvester officially turned four years old. “I like that my birthday is so rare. It’s really cool, and it’s unique that my birthday only comes every four years,” Sylvester said.
When his birthday isn’t on the calendar, Sylvester celebrates on the 28th. However, when leap year comes, Sylvester has a big celebration. “When my actual birthday comes, I get more gifts, and we have a huge celebration; it’s definitely a perk to having such a unique birthday,” Sylvester said. This year, Sylvester celebrated in Clearwater, Fla., with family friends.
Because Sylvester is technically three years old, there are bound to be jokes. “People always say I’m the biggest or smartest three years old they’ve ever seen,” Sylvester said. “I think it’s really funny.”
Although Sylvester just turned four years old, he doesn’t allow it to make him feel any different. “I don’t think it makes me any different, though. It’s just something that makes me unique. I still tell everyone I’m 15 years old,” Sylvester said. He embraces being 1 in 1,461.