h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I don't quite understand this crazy idea of February getting an extra day every four years. I mean, why didn't February get the normal allotment of 30 days in the first place? There are plenty of months with 31 who could stand to lose their last day. And why is this extra day added into February, the second month? Why not December at the end?

And what's the deal with the centuries? Only every fourth century gets a leap year? So people born on leap year get a birthday in 2000, but others didn't in 1900. How is that fair? I mean they really should've thought things through before they arbitrarily decided that February was the perfect victim of this silly extra day thing.

I understand the bit about needing to adjust the calendar every few years, since instead of 365 days, there are 365.25 or some such number. But why does it have to work the way it does? The Pre-Colombian cultures of the American continents had a great system of 'dead days' at the end of the year, to account for this need to shift the calendar. Their calendar was more accurate than the European one at the time, so why not adopt the idea? Are we simply too proud to acknowledge a better system? "Not invented by our nifty selves, can't use it."

With regard to the system in place, is there some sort of rule that says only February is affected this way? Why not have a different month each time? They could rotate. That way February would only be affected every 48 years, and the other months would get a chance to have their own extra day.

I feel personally affronted by this whole leap year thing, being born on that oh so fateful day. People are always asking me what it's like not getting birthdays like everyone else, and isn't it cute that I'm only five birthdays old, when really I'm 20 years old? Well, almost anyway.

Well, if Leap Day rotated between the months, then people whose birthdays fell on one of those days would be even more unfortunate; they'd only have a birthday every 48 years.

Yes, I suppose so, but it's such a hassle! There must be a better way!! This is the doing of Them I just know it!

Of course it's the doing of Them. Everything is Their doing. They must be stopped.

Just so. In fact if you'd like to tackle that objective as your first assignment being "Wicked Spirit", that would be fab!

Hmmm...do I get any assistance, or do I have to track down Their headquarters myself?

In any case, this could take a while....

If we adjust the number of months slightly (or every year a different number of months), they would have their birthday every 42 years which has a nice ring to it.
Maybe we should have a rotating system in which everybody is certain to lose just one birthday in their life, no exclusions. Haven't figured out the exact details. Some newborns seem to die very quickly just to make thins harder. They do that on purpose. I like that! Why didn't I do that. Rather too late now to do. Hmmmm difficult difficult difficult. Can't we celebrate every day your not born?
Would make things a lot easier I think....

Those pre columbian dead-days interest me very much.
As they had a culture with nice deadly sacrifieces I think of no better reason than to have some dead days every year. People on those days know they have a purpose in life (or in death). Makes life (or death) a lot easier if you know what your purpose is.

Well you see, the dead days were a set of about five days at the end of every year with the sole purpose of adjusting any calendar errors. All of the people laid low for those five days, no cooking, no running about and playing for the children, they tried to make sure they didn't attract the attention (and therefore wrath) of their gods. But everybody got a birthday every year and the calendar system was more accurate than the European one. I suggest we adopt this system. Although I will get a birthday in Y2K, I don't usually, and this practice must stop!

Alternative, for the years missing your favorite day:
You are born and your aging. That the calendar doesn't specify this specific date must mean your birthday is on every day of the year!
So next year you will have only 1 birthday which makes it a lousy year for you. BTW happy birthday....