why is there a leap year and why don’t they design a better calender to accomodate whatever excess ‘dayage’ (and yes, i just made up a word) is there instead of this every 4 years thing?
The reason is simple math. The number of times the Earth rotates on its axis does not divide evenly into the time it takes to make one revolution around the sun. To keep the seasons aligned with the calendar and other reasons of convenience, leap years, leap days and even leap seconds are included to keep everything lined up nice and neatly.
Staff Report: Why do we have leap years?
For other wacky DuhCow’ness:
You seem a bit of an Asking Andrew aren’t you? :dubious:
I’m just waiting for the Q&A war between DuhCow and Q.E.D.…
Oh, my. According to his Profile, his AOL Instant Messenger Handle - MyDadIsAWeenie
Cut DC some slack, guys. The kid’s awfully young.
I don’t see anything “wacky” about the questions, Rabid_Squirrel. They each deserve a factual answer, rather than criticism.
I am sorry about my rude posts DuhCow.
I didn’t mean to sound to as aloof as I did, I was curious why the varied short questions. I didn’t check his profile and initially thought it was someone having a joke.
Again, I aplogise to DuhCow for my insensitivity.
OTOMH-
The Islaamic calendar has no leap year or other mechanism to keep it in step with the seasons.
The Hebrew calender adds an extra month 3 years out of every 17.
I have no idea how the Chinese calendar handles leap year. I’ll add it to the list of questions I have for my next trip to the new year festival in China town. Sadly, that won’t be till february(Only recently did I discover that the Chinese year begins in february. The placemats never mentioned this and I have labored for years under the false belief that I am a rabbit when I am actually a tiger).
Numerous decimal/metric calendars have been designed.
Expect no change anytime soon. The Julian calendar became the Gregorian during a time when most folks couldn’t read. Those Christians who could were largely clergy. The new calendar was-designed by a pope, and helped them with the scheduling of holidays. I believe it was Cecil who said that without a leap year Christmas and Easter would sometimes fall on the same day.
The literacy rate is much higher today. Many more people can read and use a calendar. To change calendars now would require an overwhelming majority to use the new system.
There isn't nearly enough incentive for that.Nitpick: The Gregorian Calendar was designed by Christopher Clavius, S.J. It’s named for Pope Gregory XIII because he was the one who decreed it should be used.
I admit my error and sit corrected.
Actually, it’s 7 out of every 19 - the 3rd, 6th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th & 19th years of each cycle. This is done by adding a second month of Adar (which was originally the last month of the year - it is now considered the 7th, wreaking havoc with any software that needs to convert month numbers to names in Hebrew) :smack:
We also have a mechanism by which a leap day can be added or subtracted from any given year. This happens at the end of Cheshvan (the 2nd month, modern reckoning) - if you need to add a day (it’s normally 29 days, you make it 30), or Kislev (the 3rd month, modern reckoning) - if you have to subtract one (normally 30, made 29). Don’t ask me why these two months.
Dan Abarbanel
And given that he/she is young, I think we should be applauding such an enquiring mind. Way to go, DC! 
Julie
IIRC it’s a fairly standard lunar calendar - one month is exactly one lunar cycle, which means one year is a few days shorter than 365 days. So occasionally you have a 13th month for adjustment.
No One-Considering the whole thing was posted off the top of my head, I’m surprised I made only 2 errors.
Speaking of the Hebrew calendar, I believe it misses by about 2 hours in every 19 year cycle, leading to one day in every 200+ years. Is there any attempt to correct this discrepancy or will we having Passover in the summer in a few tens of milleniums?