For most people, February 29th is just another day in their life, indistinguishable from any other day besides a cursory, “huh it’s leap day isn’t it?”. Get up, go to work, have a normal meal, get to bed. However, this is not the case for all people. There is a growing group of people where February 29th is not just an extra day, rather it represents the most holy day of the year.
The Leap Day Evangelical Church (or LDEC) has declared February 29th, commonly known as Leap Day, as the pinnacle of their religious calendar, hailing it not only as the most sacred day but as the cornerstone of their entire belief system. “It’s the New New Year,” Reverend O'Higgins, the head of the Philadelphia Branch of the LDEC, “a truly remarkable day.”
I met with Rev. O'Higgins in early February when I learned about the LDEC. I wanted to know exactly why people found themselves invested in the LDEC, a spiritual organization that has been growing steadily in membership with sharp spikes of interest every leap year. O’Higgins walked me through the basic tenets of the church, how the church has been going, and, of course, explaining why Leap Day is so important.
“The reason a lot of people have been joining our movement is that there simply isn’t enough time in the year, and people are desperately looking for ways to slow down and become more mindful,” O’Higgins explained taking a sip of his hot chocolate. “The Leap Day Evangelical church is all about recognizing the beauty of Leap Day and using that as a guiding principle.”
Originating from disparate backgrounds and geographical locations, adherents of the Leap Day Evangelical Church, have found common ground in their reverence for this once-every-four-years occurrence. Their belief system revolves around the concept of seizing the rare and extraordinary opportunities that Leap Day presents, both spiritually and practically, and using that to reframe the way they think about time.
“Leap day is a sacred time - not a part of the regular day in and day out of the year,” says one observer.
The Church is not linked to any particular religious tradition but rather accepts people from religious backgrounds as long as they accept the central tenet that Leap Day is a sacred day and the starting point within their calendars. The LDEC’s belief system centers around metaphysical conceptions of time, some would even argue that “time” is the topic which they worship.
For the LDEC the Leap Year represents a new time cycle, which is called a “True Year”. While LDEC proponents do believe in the concept of a traditional Year (e.g. 365 days), a True Year, is comprised of 4 traditional Years combined, with the Leap Day marking the beginning of a new True Year.
"We believe that Leap Day is a gift—a chance to realign ourselves with our deepest aspirations and reaffirm our commitment to living purposefully," explains Maya Singh a prominent member of the Central Ohio branch of the movement. "It's about embracing the extraordinary in the ordinary and recognizing the inherent sacredness of every moment."
The LDEC has a rather unconventional sense of time. Unlike mainstream society where the year begins of January 1st every 365 days, the LDEC claims that leap day is the true “New Year Day” and that time is understood in chunks of 4 year rotations rather than single-year rotations.
“You see the number 4 is heavily involved in all sorts of religious traditions,” says O’Higgens “Some examples are the 4 gospels and 4 major profits in Christianity, the 4 Nobel truths in Buddhism, the 4 Yugas of Hinduism. Heck, it’s even in the standard calendar with the 4 seasons. I don’t want to get deep into the numerology of Leap Day Evangelicalism with you, but it runs deep”.
The Number 4 is the most sacred number in the LDEC and all of human time is understood in series of 4s: each year comprises four seasons, each Leap year comprises four years, and Each life season comprises four Leap years, and each lifetime in the belief system comprises of 4 life seasons, which . “It’s all really simple,” explains Maya.
The Church claims that Leap Day is significant because of the way that it affects the traditional calendar and sense of time. “A lot lay-folk don’t really get Leap Day,” claims the Reverend, “and I don’t even mean within our belief system – people don’t know what Leap day does in the most practical calendrical sense. The U.S. education system failed ”
Like so many calendar-related phenomena, Caesar is the one to credit for the current inclusion of Leap Day in the modern time-keeping system. The reason Leap Day exists is because on an orbital level a year comprises of 365.25 days. This means that leap day is included in the calendar every 4 years as a way to realign the calendar. Unlike the majority of the U.S. The LDEC believes that this is not merely a matter of scientific intervention, rather extra-calendrial day is of significant spiritual import.
According to the group's doctrine, Leap Day symbolizes a moment of transcendence, where individuals are encouraged to leap beyond their limitations, embrace change, and embark on new beginnings. It is a day of introspection, renewal, and collective celebration of human potential. “Leap Day is a day to begin anew,” is the popular saying of practitioners.
“It’s not every year we have an extra day. It’s every four years, as a matter of fact,” says Reverend O’Higgens with a chuckle.
Leading figures within the LDEC emphasize that their faith is not bound by any specific religious dogma or creed but rather centers on the universal themes of hope, growth, and interconnectedness. Rituals and practices vary among congregations, with some engaging in communal gatherings marked by music, dance, and storytelling, while others opt for solitary reflection and acts of kindness.
The movement began in the year 1998, when a small group in Adams County Pennsylvania began to determine that Leap Day should not be treated like any regular day because of the significant astrological and calendric signifcance of the day.. This community celebrated its first official Leap Day as an official collection on February 29th, 2000. Consequently, the church has celebrated 6 Leap Days in the 21st Century and is preparing for the 7th. Each year the LDEC only grows in members with sharp increases as the new Leap Year approaches.
In order to remain aligned to the contemporary economy and society, somembers of the LDEC acknowledge the normal Gregorian calendar, although they do believe that the true year is only 506.“Well, to some people, I might look like I’m 67 years old, but within my community, I am just about to turn 17!” Says Marth Plepsky a recent convert to the belief system and a congregant of O’Higgin’s church.
Critics have questioned the legitimacy of the Leap Day Devotees, citing their unconventional beliefs and the absence of a long-standing religious tradition. However, supporters argue that the group's emphasis on inclusivity, optimism, and personal growth offers a refreshing alternative in an increasingly polarized world.
There are a lot of traditions and rituals each leap day, and the whole month of February is celebrated with a lot of intensity. “Oh a Leap year is a big year indeed,” exclaims O’Higgens, “you best believe it’s not just chance that The Olympics and US presidential elections always are on Leap Year, no, that’s the cosmic ordinance of Leap day”
On each Leap Day, members of the LEDC gather in their sacred spaces, set intentions for the next Leap Year, sing traditional leap day hymns, and celebrate with their friends and families. Each Leap Day also entails burning the fears and dreads of the past four Year in the Leap Day fire, also called the Flame of Truth. Typical Leap Day celebrations often entail eating traditional Leap Day foods such as green grapes and drinking green elixer. Some branches have even adopted the image of a frog as the symbol of Leap Day.
As Leap Day approaches, excitement among the Leap Day Devotees is palpable, with plans underway for elaborate festivities and community outreach initiatives. The group hopes to spread its message of empowerment and mindfulness to a broader audience, inviting individuals of all backgrounds to join in their celebration of this rare and auspicious day.
The church has a lot of plans for development in the future. They hope to continue spreading their beliefs and gaining new members to join their mission. Additionally, The church believes on one leap day in the future that the savior will be born on this sacred day outside of all the others, and rise to lead the faithful into the Leap Heaven where all those true believers will live in everlasting glory. The face of a Frog god shines down on the people of earth, as the pyre of the flame of truth burns with the sins of the past.
While the Leap Day Evangelical Church may be a nascent movement, their passion and conviction underscore the enduring human quest for meaning and connection. Whether Leap Day will indeed become a universally recognized holy day remains to be seen, but for those who subscribe to this burgeoning faith, February 29th will forever hold a special place in their hearts and minds. So be on the lookout as we take a leap of faith into the 7th Leap Year of the 2000s.
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