|
Popowitz only technically turns a year older every four
years because of his unusual birthday, which occurs only on leap
years. Popowitz joins 200,000 other people in the U.S. born on Feb.
29, according to the Honor
Society of Leap Year Day Babies.
By most people’s standards, Popowitz, born in
1956, would be turning 52 this year.
‘‘When I had my [first] bar mitzvah I had only
celebrated 3 1⁄4 birthdays,” Popowitz said. Popowitz said a second
bar mitzvah, which he will celebrate on a California beach with his
family, would be a unique way to mark his birthday. ‘‘I’ll even
recite some prayers with a cracked voice like I did when I was 13.”
The leap year conundrum occurs because one year is
about 365.25 days long, requiring the tacking on of an extra day
every four years to make up the extra time. The leap year was first
coined by Julius Caesar in 45 B.C.
But being born on a day that doesn’t exist for
three out of every four years can pose some unique challenges. The
National Honor Society of Leap Year Day Babies, an advocacy
organization for people born on leap year day, has identified some
issues faced by those born on Feb. 29. For example, the group has
identified a computer glitch they have dubbed the ‘‘invalid birthday
bug” which causes problems for those who mark their birthday as Feb.
29 on online application forms. The society offers free downloadable
software to correct the issue.
For Popowitz, however, most confusion lies in
deciding which day to celebrate — Feb. 28 or March 1. Popowitz
wishes he had a dollar for every time he’s been asked that question.
The answer: March 1.
‘‘I was born at 7:02 p.m., so it’s closer to March
1,” Popowitz said. ‘‘But you also get the stretch your birthday out
for two days.” Popowitz said he often receives calls from friends
and family on both days.
Potomac resident Stewart Manela, who will be
celebrating his ‘‘14th” birthday on Friday, said that the issue of a
non-existent birthday would be easily resolved by choosing a
different calendar day to celebrate. Manela said he would much
prefer celebrating his birthday during the summer, preferably while
on vacation.
‘‘My family hasn’t let me pick July 28 yet,” said
Manela, whose wife is throwing him a party this year. Normally,
Manela said, his family has ‘‘age-appropriate” birthday celebrations
like bowling parties or ice cream parties. He’s not quite sure what
to expect this year.
The age conundrum is another oddity faced by leap
year day babies. For leapers with children, it’s common to watch
sons and daughters easily catch up and surpass them in age.
‘‘Growing up too fast” takes on a new meaning for parents born on
Feb. 29.
In 2004, the last time leap year day rolled
around, Manela reached the age of 13 the same year as his youngest
son. This year, as Manela marks his 14th birthday, his son will be
17.
This doesn’t faze Manela, however. He said he
thinks his son is well equipped to be older than his father.
‘‘He’s demonstrated his maturity in many ways,”
Manela said. ‘‘His outlook on life has always been more mature than
mine.”
|
