Happy Leap Day!

This is the "Google Doodle" for today, Leap Day, Feb. 29th, 2012. Google does a very clever job changing up their "doodles" for notable dates and occasions. This one depicts Leap Day, of course, with the iconic frogs, but it also remembers Gioachino Rossini's 220th birthday. Don't worry, I didn't know who he was either, but after a little research, found out that he was an Italian composer, nicknamed "the Italian Mozart", and wrote the opera The Barber of Seville. The frogs are most likely performing one of Rossini's operas here.

Other fun Leap Day facts:

* As you probably know, we have a Leap Day in years that are evenly divisible by 100, but did you know that the year must also be divisible by 400? That's why 1900 did not have a Leap Day, but the year 2000 did.

* In some countries it's a tradition that a woman can propose to a man on Leap Day. If he refuses, he's obligated to give the woman money or buy her a dress! In European high society, if the man refuses the woman's proposal, he is supposed to buy the woman 12 pairs of gloves, in order for her to hide the embarrassment of not having an engagement ring.

* Greeks consider it unlucky to marry on Leap Day, or even anytime during the leap year.

Check out Wikipedia for more information.

Have a great Leap Day!