Tobogganing in July and sunbathing in December are just some of the wacky phenomena we’d have to contend with if we didn’t have leap years to keep our calendar in sync with the Earth’s orbit around the sun.
The answer, simply put, is that the Earth doesn’t take exactly 365 days to orbit the sun. It’s actually closer to 365.242 days. While that may not seem like much, it amounts to almost six extra hours a year, which does add up over the long run.
To learn more Leap Year facts and Traditions click here.