More than a calendar correction, February 29th was once the day when roles were reversed and the woman could pick herself a husband.
The tradition started in ancient Ireland and eventually reached the United States. Of course, in our patriarchal society, it became a thing of mockery. Cartoons and postcards depicted aggressive old maids doing whatever it took to capture a poor, unsuspecting man. The weird old postcards are funny in a cringey sort of way.
Speaking of gender stereotypes, the other night we watched "Fly with Me" on PBS American Experience, about the "women who wanted to see the world and ended up changing it." An excellent program and reminder of how far we've come. In some ways.
Anyway, since there are 366 days in 2024, think of it like this --sometimes a little extra time is all we need to make a big difference. Happy Leap Day to you.
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