MANILA -- Since the incoming year 2020 is divisible by the number 4, it is considered universally as a leap year, which comes around every four years.
Like the previous four-year cycles since the turn of the 21st century -- 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016 -- the month of February 2020 has 29 days, or one day more compared with the usual 28 days.
This is in line with the days of the month rhyme, which somehow says in part (not in exact wording):
"Thirty days has September, April, June, and November; February has 28 alone. All the rest have 31; Except in Leap Year, that's the time when February's days are 29."
Another version of the rhyme says: "Leap year comes one year in four and gives to February one day more."
In each leap year, the leap day comes on a different day of February.
For instance, in the February month of Leap Year 2020, leap day falls on a Saturday -- Feb. 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29.
In the previous leap years since the turn of the present century, leap day came on Monday in 2016, Wednesday in 2012, Friday in 2008, Sunday in 2004, and Tuesday in 2000.
Here is the complete list of the leap years in the first half of the 21st century: 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, 2024, 2028, 2032, 2036, 2040. 2044, and 2048.
In the previous century, the leap years were: 1900, 1904, 1908, 1912, 1916, 1920, 1924, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1940, 1944, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1984 1988, 1992, and 1996. (PNA)
