Today
is
Leap
Day,
that
extra
day
added
to
February
once
every
four
years.
Statistically,
the
chances
of
being
born
on
Feb.
29
is 1
in
1,461.
McMahon
loves
turning
the
milestone
4-0
on
his
special
birthday,
and
has
joined
the
Leap
Day
Honor
Society
of
Leap
Year
Day
Babies.
"I
try
to
make
a
lot
of
fun
out
of
my
birthday,"
he
says.
"Mathematically,
it
has
to
be
the
rarest
birthday.
I
feel
fortunate
to
have
it."
McMahon's
family
has
always
had
fun
as
well.
On
his
16th
birthday
— or
fourth,
depending
on
how
you
count
—
they
proposed
a
big
party
at
Chuck
E.
Cheese.
This year, it's dinner at Shamrock Jack's. Hillengas, too, will celebrate with her family and her 86-year-old mother, Catherine Zaffuto. They'll be dining at Carrabba's Italian Grill in Henrietta.
Having a leap birthday has always made Hillengas feel like she stands out in a crowd, she says, even if she's had to celebrate on Feb. 28 most years.
"I
like
the
limelight,"
she
says.
"I
do
feel
special
being
born
in a
leap
year."
Hillengas
and
McMahon
are
among
about
200,000
Americans,
including
Dinah
Shore
and
Jimmy
Dorsey,
born
on
Leap
Day,
according
to
U.S.
Census
figures.
About
4.1
million
people
worldwide
share
the
birthday.
The limelight on Feb. 29, according to lore, dates back to fifth century Ireland when St. Bridget complained to St. Patrick about women having to wait for a marriage proposal. Patrick's response was to allow women to propose on Feb. 29.
Scotland
passed
a
law
in
1288
also
allowing
this
practice.
In
ancient
Greek
times,
the
day
was
said
to
have
some
bad
luck
associated
with
it,
but
that
thought
didn't
seem
to
last.
And
over
time,
good
luck
took
over.
For
example,
men
born
Feb.
29
were
placed
well
down
the
draft
lottery
list
for
the
Vietnam
War.
But
there
are
some
practical
issues
that
leapers
face,
said
Peter
Brouwer,
a
Vancouver
Island,
British
Columbia,
resident
who
is
co-founder
of
LeapYearDay.com,
which
started
the
Honor
Society
of
Leap
Year
Day
Babies
and
Leapzine
online
newsletter.
The site is a fun way to meet and correspond with others born on Feb. 29, he said. However, the organization also helps raise awareness because people born on that day sometimes face issues getting government documents or even registering for Web sites because the birth date is not recognized.
The
site,
of
course,
has
had
a
big
month
this
year,
spreading
good
cheer
and
ways
to
celebrate
with
other
leapers.
For
McMahon,
the
birthday
is
enough.
"It's
definitely
special,"
McMahon
says.
MCHAO@DemocratandChronicle.com
Includes
reporting
by
The
Associated
Press.