It may seem routine to have a birthday each year but there are people who have birthdays only every four years! They are called ‘leapers’ or ‘leaplings’ because they were born on February 29 — a date that appears in the calendar only once every four years.
Before being banished from the pages of our calendars until 2020, when the next leap year occurs, we caught up with five such individuals. Most of them vowed to make today a special day.
Former national hockey player Adam Sinclair says, “This year’s birthday is a double dhamaka for me — it’s my first birthday after I got married, and I am celebrating it with my two-and-a-half year old son. My wife has already gifted me a Harley-Davidson. I felt left out as a child, but my parents made sure to celebrate my birthday on March 1.”
Asmitha Neelamegam turns six! No, we’re kidding — she’s 24 and quite thrilled about the grand party her parents have planned in a five-star hotel in the city.
“This might be my last birthday as a single person,” gushes the actress-model.
As far as planning surprises go, Swati Bokadia can’t keep her excitement contained, as she bakes a cake for the daughter of a friend. The home baker, in the middle of creating an animal-themed cake for 20-year-old leapling Prachi Jain, tells us that this is her first leap year birthday cake, and that makes it even more special.
I am a big fan of the jungle theme, and the parents want to make this birthday very memorable for Prachi,” she says. A co-conspirator in the surprise party is Pooja, the birthday girl’s mother. “This year, I wanted to make it big, so we’re calling all our family members and celebrating it in a grand way at home,” says Pooja.
Janani Karthikeyan, currently working at Google, Hyderabad, can’t wait for her birthday! The Chennaiite says there is a positive and negative to having a leap year birthday. “On the bright side, no one forgets your birthday. Even people I’m not close to will remember it! But, on the flipside, they forget your birthday for three years, and they always mess up the math!” laughs Janani, adding that her family members often tease by calling her a six-year-old. She doesn’t have any plans for tomorrow — rather, her friends do, so all she knows is to turn up at 6 pm at a specified location.
Yashna Galada, a student in the 11th grade, is yet another February 29 baby, and sounds ecstatic about it. “I’m not really sure what I’ll do. My parents must have something planned,” she manages to say amidst her giggles. “I’ve generally celebrated on the 28th and 1st! But this year is definitely special,” she adds. Her sister, Dikshita, adds, “Every year she receives a surprise, along with a healthy mix of jokes such as ‘Yashna will get married when she’s only six years old!’”
