What is a leap year? Find out why we get an extra day after every four years!

The year 2020 not only marks the end of a decade but also is a leap year. Everyone has the basic idea of what a leap year is. There are still many who do not know the reason behind why after every four years, a day is added in the calendar. 

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What is a leap year?

A leap year is a year that contains 366 days instead of a normal year that contains only 365 days. In other words, a year in which the month of February has 29 days is a leap year. It comes after every 4 years. A leap year is important for the smooth functioning of the Gregorian calendar, which is followed all around the world.

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Why do we have a leap year after every 4 years?

A leap day is that one extra day added to the calendar. February 29 is known as the leap day. It is important to know why such a phenomenon occurs. According to scienceabc.com, the earth completes a revolution around the sun in 365 days and an additional 6 hours. The extra six hours from every year gets added up after a period of four years. This makes an entire day because 6 times 4 is 24. This is why there is a leap year every four years. 

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The last leap year was 2016. The next leap year would be after four years of 2020. This means we will welcome February 29 once again in 2024. There are some major rules to determine whether a year is a leap year. The first condition is that the year must be perfectly divisible by 4. Since 2020 is divisible by 4, it is a leap year. If the year is divisible by 400 as well, it is a leap year. On the other hand, if it is divisible by 100, it is not a leap year.

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Is 2020 a leap year?

Yes, 2020 is a leap year as it is perfectly divisible by 4 and also by 400. It contains the leap day February 29. It is also not divisible by 100. 

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