Skip to main contentLeap Day is terrible. Unlike an extra hour in a day, no one wants an extra day in a year. An extra day of work, of paying bills, of the endless drudgery of the human condition. If you're unlucky enough to be born on Leap Day, you are forced to pack four years' worth of parties into one day. If you have a salaried job, you're working for free. Also, it's Rare Disease Day.
But, like most days, Leap Day is even worse for women.
Traditionally, Leap Day is the one day of the year women are "allowed" to propose to their boyfriends. Popular vintage Leap Year postcards depict women proposers as unattractive and violent. In this tradition, if the man says no, he has to buy the woman 12 pairs of gloves to hide the embarrassment of not having a wedding ring. There's also a traditional Italian belief that calls Leap Years "doom years" because women are "erratic" during a Leap Year.
And it just goes on from there. Here are the worst Leap Days in women's history.
Feb. 29, 1692: The first three arrest warrants for witchcraft are issued for women in Salem, Mass., leading to the Salem witch trials. One of the women, named Tituba, is accused of feeding a dog a "witch cake" four days before.
Feb. 29, 1720: Queen Ulrika Eleonora of Sweden abdicates her throne to her husband, Frederick I. She wants to rule jointly with Frederick, but the Swedish parliament won't allow it. Eleonora later speaks of giving up power as the greatest sacrifice of her life. Frederick I goes on to become the first monarch of Sweden to have an official mistress.
Feb. 29, 1956: Infamous serial killer Aileen Wuornos is born. Wuornos goes on to murder seven men who allegedly raped or tried to rape her while she was working as a prostitute and is often referred to as the world's first female serial killer.
Feb. 29, 1960: The first Playboy Club opens in Chicago.
Feb. 29, 1976: Ja Rule is born.
Feb. 29, 2010: The romantic comedy Leap Year is released, in which Amy Adams plans to take advantage of the antiquated Leap Day tradition by proposing to her boyfriend on Feb. 29—in 2010. Spoiler alert: He ends up proposing to her, because only ugly, horrible, erratic women propose to their boyfriends.
GO: Spend the day with the only people who have your back this Leap Day—if it's your birthday. Enjoy one hour of complimentary bowling (shoe rental included!), private karaoke rooms, and pingpong at Punch Bowl Social, 340 SW Morrison St., 334-0360, punchbowlsocial.com, on Monday, Feb. 29. Free.
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