A bonus day? We’ll take it! Of course, Leap Day has been mentioned in fiction for many decades so we’ve compiled some of our favorite embodiments of it here.
- Frederic in Pirates of Penzance is born on February 29th, leading to the flexible definition of the length of his servitude among the pirates.
- Phil Dunphy in Modern Family loves to make use of this bonus day by trying something new. On one Leap Day, he gets to fly on a trapeze. (Season 3, episode 17)
- There was a short-lived TV show back in the 90s called Strange Luck featuring D.B. Sweeney as a man born on Leap Day who experienced lots of bizarre things.
- In the romcom Leap Year, Amy Adams plays Anna, a woman who flies to Ireland to surprise her boyfriend by asking him to marry her (because it’s the one day that women are allowed to propose to men. (I know. I’m shaking my head too.)) Along the way she encounters lots of travel crises and a caustic, handsome Irish man.
- 30 Rock has a whole episode about Leap Day with built-in traditions, songs, colors, and movies. Seriously, just go and watch it right now. (Season 6, episode 9)
For a day based on math and astronomy, Leap Day has a surprising amount of personal value. All of us here at Fictional Almanac hope that you will take a chance today, try something new, be bold, and look with fresh eyes on the people around you. You have an extra day for this crazy life. Enjoy it!
Fictional Almanac 