Calendar mysteries

Were you born on this rare date? Only 1 in 1,461 people were

Most of us think we know the calendar pretty well, and if we don’t, our phones are there to remind us of dates and events. But the way humans measure the passage of time hasn’t always been the same. From the origins of month names to the truth behind leap years, today we’re going to share 10 surprising facts you probably didn’t know about the calendar.

The probability of being born on February 29 is 1 in 1,461. Although birthdays on this date are rare, people born on it even have a name: leaplings. Leaplings officially get to celebrate their birthday on February 29 only once every four years, but what happens in the other years? While some people prefer not to jump to another month, March 1st is considered more astronomically accurate, as it comes directly after February 28.

The Earth’s orbit is elliptical, which means there are times when we are closer to the Sun and other times when we are farther away. In January, Earth is at its closest point to the Sun, known as "perihelion." You might wonder how we can be closer to the Sun during winter, but the seasons are caused by Earth’s tilt, not by our distance from the Sun. On the other hand, the month when we are farthest from the Sun is July, and this point in the orbit is called "aphelion."

Due to its particularly short duration, February is the only month that can lack a full moon. Lunar cycles are 29.5 days long, which means that, approximately every 19 years, February has all the lunar phases except the full moon. When this happens, both January and March have two full moons, with the second one being called a "Blue Moon"; and that's why, when we say "once in a blue moon," we're talking about something that happens very rarely. The next time this will happen will be in the year 2037.

Did you know that our calendar has a name? That’s right; most of the world uses the Gregorian calendar, named after Pope Gregory XIII, who introduced it in 1582 as a reform of the older system.

The main difference lies in how leap years are handled. The previous system, known as the Julian calendar, added a leap year every four years, assuming a year lasted exactly 365.25 days. However, a real solar year is slightly shorter. To fix this, the Gregorian calendar keeps leap years every four years with one exception: century years (like 1900) are not leap years unless they are divisible by 400 (such as 2000).

But before the Julian calendar, ancient Rome used an even older system with one key difference: it had only 10 months. This calendar began in March and ended in December, totaling just 304 days. What about the remaining days? They were considered a winter gap and simply weren’t counted. Around 700 BC, January and February were added to fill that gap, and these changes were later standardized under Julius Caesar’s reform in 45 BC, when he introduced the Julian calendar.

The names also come directly from life in ancient Rome, where months were named in honor of deities and important festivities. For example, March was named Martius after Mars, the god of war, because it marked the start of the military campaigning season. Aprilis, the Roman name for April, comes from the Latin verb aperire, meaning "to open," in reference to the arrival of spring. May was named Maius after Maia, the goddess of fertility and growth, and June was named Iunius in honor of Juno, the Roman goddess of marriage.

What about the rest of the months? From July through December, they were originally named after their position in the year. Since March was considered the first month, July was called Quintilis ("the fifth"), August was Sextilis ("the sixth"), September comes from septem, meaning "seven" in Latin, October from octo ("eight"), November from novem ("nine"), and December from decem ("ten").

Most of these names remained similar, with two exceptions: Quintilis was renamed Iulius to honor Julius Caesar after his death, and Sextilis became Augustus, in honor of Augustus Caesar, the first Roman emperor.

The days of the week are no exception to Roman tradition. Sunday was named dies Solis ("day of the Sun"), Monday was dies Lunae ("day of the Moon"), Tuesday was called dies Martis (day of Mars), Wednesday dies Mercurii (day of Mercury), Thursday dies Iovis (day of Jupiter), Friday dies Veneris (day of Venus), and finally, Saturday was dies Saturni (day of Saturn).

As you may have noticed, only Saturday retained its Roman root, while Sunday and Monday kept their meaning but were translated. What happened to the rest? They were influenced by Norse mythology, resulting in Tuesday being named for Tyr, a Norse god of war; Wednesday after Woden (Odin), the Norse interpretation of Mercury; Thursday from Thor, the god of thunder, replacing Jupiter; and Friday from Freya, a Norse goddess linked to the Roman Venus.

In the United States, Sunday is considered the start of the week. This tradition has religious and cultural roots, and it’s shared by many parts of the world, but not all of them. In fact, several other English-speaking countries do it differently: places like England, Australia, and parts of Canada consider Monday the first day of the week, with Sunday closing it out.

Daily routine

Still wearing your shoes like this? 10 habits that can harm your health!

Image: Steve Johnson

The accelerated pace of life can make us overlook our health a little by carrying out some habits that may seem harmless but are actually not good for our health. If you want to improve your routines, keep reading! Today, we identify 10 bad health habits you might not even realize you're doing!

Image: Pille R. Priske

Maybe you're one of those who change the kitchen sponge when it looks like it's been through a boxing match. We don't judge; we've all done it! However, experts recommend changing the sponge regularly because food debris can grow harmful bacteria.

How often should you change it? Every 2 weeks! You can also sanitize your sponge by microwaving it for 2 minutes or soaking it in bleach.

Image: Vladislav Muslakov

If you have long hair or live with someone who does, this tip can save the day (or rather, the night). Did you know that sleeping with your hair tied up too tightly can actually damage its health?

If you sleep that way regularly, the tension could contribute to hair breakage, thinning, or hair loss. In addition, that habit can also lead to scalp problems or even headaches. It's generally recommended to tie your hair softly with soft scrunchies or silk ties to minimize friction and tension.

Image: Luca Bravo

It's not that we have anything against desks, but many people simply don't take the time to pause from work and eat as health professionals recommend.

Eating while working or using the computer can distract you from how you eat, leading to inadequate chewing and poor digestion as a consequence.

Image: Roberto Sorin

Sometimes, we may stop taking the antibiotics prescribed by our doctor once we start feeling better. While this could be due to simple forgetfulness, it can lead to serious health consequences. Most importantly, if you don't complete the treatment as indicated by your doctor, your body may develop resistance to the antibiotics, making future infections harder to treat.

Image: Olena Kamenetska

We know that, in today's world, it's hard to stay away from screens, whether it's a cell phone, computer, or TV. However, health experts have warned that nighttime screen time can be a bad habit for your health for several reasons.

First, the blue light emitted by many screens interrupts your sleep cycle, making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. As a consequence, you may end up sleeping later and not getting enough rest. On the other hand, it can affect your eyesight, drying out your eyes or irritating them.

Image: Annie Spratt

Today's jobs often cause many people to spend 8 hours (or more) sitting at their desks. But it turns out that this habit isn't good at all: sitting still for long periods can slow down your metabolism, worsen your posture and back pain, or weaken your muscles.

While we know work is important, so is your health! It's recommended to take breaks, stand up, stretch, walk (even if it's indoors or in the garden), and add at least 20 minutes of physical activity each day.

Image: Madi Doell

Not changing your pillowcase regularly can lead to health problems, and while this may seem obvious, the list of consequences is actually longer than you might think.

A pillowcase that has been in use for more than a week has collected germs and bacteria from your hair and skin. This habit can lead to allergic reactions, skin irritations, or even, in the worst case, respiratory issues. In fact, some experts recommend washing your whole pillow every 3 to 6 months as well.

Image: Todd Diemer

Leaving wet clothes on for too long is not only incredibly uncomfortable but also bad for your health. So now you know, if you get caught in the rain or sweat too much in that gym class, it's best to change into dry clothes as soon as possible.

Wet clothes can create a moist environment that can irritate your skin or lead to fungal infections. Bacteria and fungi love moisture! And if it's cold outside, staying in wet clothes can make you more vulnerable to catching a cold.

Image: Towfiqu barbhuiya

Although many antibacterial products are highly effective, using them too frequently or excessively can actually have the opposite effect of what's intended.

The skin on your body has beneficial bacteria that protect it against harmful germs. Over-disinfecting your environment or skin can disrupt the balance of your natural protection, weakening your immunity.

Image: Mitchel Lensink

In many Asian countries, taking off your shoes before entering a house isn't just a sign of respect; it's also an important practice for maintaining better health.

By keeping your shoes on indoors, you can bring viruses and bacteria from the streets into your home, spreading them across the floor, carpets, surfaces, and even the air.