Leap Day Babies Celebrate Unique Birthdays

How old are you really if you were born on February 29?

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

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Leap Day, which occurs every four years, is a special day for those born on February 29. While they may not always get to celebrate their actual birthday, those born on Leap Day are considered to be a certain age in "Leap Day years." We've done the math to show how old Leap Day babies will be in 2026, both in real life and in Leap Day years.

Why it matters

Leap Day birthdays are a unique phenomenon that highlights the disconnect between our calendar system and the actual length of the solar year. Understanding how Leap Day birthdays work is important for those born on that date, as it affects how they celebrate their special day.

The details

A common year has 365 days, while a leap year has 366 days to keep the calendar aligned with the seasons and the solar year, which is about 365¼ days long. Those born on Leap Day, February 29, don't always get to celebrate their actual birthday since that date only occurs every four years. Instead, they typically celebrate on February 28 or March 1. However, February 29 is still used for identification and important documents.

  • The most recent Leap Day was Thursday, February 29, 2024.
  • The next Leap Day will be Tuesday, February 29, 2028.

The players

John Dunbar

The executive editor of The Daytona Beach News-Journal, who was born on Leap Day and discusses the unique challenges and celebrations of having a Leap Day birthday.

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What they’re saying

“It's always a special day to have an actual birthday. I used to have big blowout parties, but I'm pretty mellow about it these days.”

— John Dunbar, Executive Editor, The Daytona Beach News-Journal (The Daytona Beach News-Journal)

What’s next

As of February 23, 2026, those born on Leap Day 1924 will be 102 years old in real life, but still 25 in Leap Day years.

The takeaway

Leap Day birthdays are a unique phenomenon that highlights the disconnect between our calendar system and the actual length of the solar year. While those born on Leap Day may not always get to celebrate their actual birthday, they can still embrace the special nature of their birth date and find creative ways to celebrate.