Off topic: Happy birthday to all leap-year babies Thread poster: Henk Peelen
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Henk Peelen 
Netherlands
Local time: 09:01
Member (2002)
German to Dutch
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to all people who might have grey hair at the age of 15!
[Subject edited by staff or moderator 2008-03-05 23:23]
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| Thank you.... | Mar 1, 2008 |
Henk,
I am one of those! As a friend pointed out to me in an email I recieved yesterday, we who are born on the leap year can choose how old we are (either 60 or 15 this year for me), whereas those who have birthdays the day before or the day after must simply accept the higher number!
Are you also a "leap year baby"?
Cheers, and have a wonderful day whatever age you are!
Bill
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Henk Peelen
Netherlands
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Member (2002)
German to Dutch
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TOPIC STARTER SITE LOCALIZER | I have no choice | Mar 1, 2008 |
... I was born August 15th 1963.
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| To Henk: August 15 | Mar 1, 2008 |
Well, lucky you. Whole India celebrates your birthday.
15th August is our Independence day.
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Henk Peelen
Netherlands
Local time: 09:01
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Oops, good to know, so I can order such amount of cakes timely.
Well, I already knew that it's indenpendence day for India (1947) and that it was / is the birthday of Napoleon, princess Ann and Shimon Perez, Ben Affleck and many more. The month actually should have been called October, but the vain Emperor Julius Caeser inserted July and August to name two months after himself and Emperor August.
Well, doing more research, I find another theory stating the Roman year started March 1s... See more Oops, good to know, so I can order such amount of cakes timely.
Well, I already knew that it's indenpendence day for India (1947) and that it was / is the birthday of Napoleon, princess Ann and Shimon Perez, Ben Affleck and many more. The month actually should have been called October, but the vain Emperor Julius Caeser inserted July and August to name two months after himself and Emperor August.
Well, doing more research, I find another theory stating the Roman year started March 1st (in which system September, October, November and December were the 7th - 10th month). Then Julius and August were "just" kind of demogods, joining Janus, Martius, Maia/Maius, Juno (January, March, May, June).
Anyway
January...........Janus
February.........februum (belt of goat skin, has to do with purification)
March..............March
April................aperire (probably!!! Latin "to open" the new season)
May.................Maia/Maius
June................Juno
July..................Julius Emperor
August.............August Emperor
September.......seventh
October............eight
November.........ninth
December.........tenth
[Bijgewerkt op 2008-03-01 15:49] ▲ Collapse
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NancyLynn
Canada
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Member (2002)
French to English
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MODERATOR | Something I never bothered to look up | Mar 1, 2008 |
...but I admit that despite my laziness I often wondered why my birth month, October, is the tenth month of the calendar...
Thanks Hank, and Happy Leap Year Birthday to Bill and any others too modest to speak up here!
Nancy
Henk Peelen wrote:
The month actually should have known as Octobre, but the vain Emperor Julius Caeser inserted July and August after himself and Emperor August.
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| Speaking of leap years ... | Mar 1, 2008 |
Speaking of leap years, is it only in the UK and the USA that the woman has the privilege of proposing marriage on 29th February and, if turned down, must be given a pair of gloves or a silk dress by the reluctant man? I believe it's called "Sadie Hawkins Day" in America, based on that wonderful strip cartoon Lil Abner.
Unfortunately for me, my man cleverly contrived to be away in France on the crucial day, so I'll have to wait another four years ...
Love,
Jenny.
And hap... See more Speaking of leap years, is it only in the UK and the USA that the woman has the privilege of proposing marriage on 29th February and, if turned down, must be given a pair of gloves or a silk dress by the reluctant man? I believe it's called "Sadie Hawkins Day" in America, based on that wonderful strip cartoon Lil Abner.
Unfortunately for me, my man cleverly contrived to be away in France on the crucial day, so I'll have to wait another four years ...
Love,
Jenny.
And happy birthday to all you 5 year olds! ▲ Collapse
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Henk Peelen
Netherlands
Local time: 09:01
Member (2002)
German to Dutch
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Jenny Forbes wrote:
...
Speaking of leap years, is it only in the UK and the USA that the woman has the privilege of proposing marriage on 29th February and, if turned down, must be given a pair of gloves or a silk dress by the reluctant man?
Unfortunately for me, my man cleverly contrived to be away in France on the crucial day, so I'll have to wait another four years ...
...
Don't know about the gloves and dress, but I thought it was the whole leap year. At least, here in The Netherlands. Furthermore, I did read in Scotland she should wear a red flanell petticoat, longer than her dress. Maybe the silk dress story has to do with that, to be understood as
The girl shows she wants to be covered by a wedding (dress). If not, the silk dress (and gloves) shows the man is neither willing nor indifferent. Just a theory.
[Bijgewerkt op 2008-03-01 22:59]
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| Folk traditions on Leap day | Mar 2, 2008 |
As you can see from the below article, Danish women may propose on leap day (24 February) and refusal must be compensated with 12 pairs of gloves.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leap_year#Folk_traditions
Jørgen
PS I'm born on Valentines Day, but I'm not very romantic
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