Happy Leap Day everybody! For those of you who don’t remember back from elementary school, whenever February has 29 days (instead of 28), that year is a “leap year”. Leap years have 366 days instead of the 365 in “common years”. Leap years are necessary in order to keep the calendar matched-up with the solar year; the amount of time it takes the Earth to revolve around the Sun is not precisely 365 days, so over time the discrepancy would really mess-up the calendar. The Ancient Egyptians were the first to add an extra day into their calendar every four years, and the Romans (from whom our calendar was taken) later adopted this tradition. 

The phrase “Mardi Gras” is French for “Fat Tuesday”. It got its name due to the custom of eating rich, fatty foods the day before the fasting of Lent started on Ash Wednesday (Mardi Gras is always the day before Ash Wednesday). Historically a French holiday, Mardi Gras was introduced to the United States when the Le Moyne brothers were sent to America to defend France’s claim on Louisiana. Today, people often associate Mardi Gras with New Orleans, but other southern states also have festivals in celebration of the holiday. 

Happy President’s Day everyone!!! Fun fact: even though this holiday is historically supposed to celebrate both President Washington and President Lincoln, this actual day (the third Monday in February) will NEVER fall on either of their birthdays. Have a fun and safe day off from work!