Lafayette Woman Born on ‘Leap Day’ Explains Just How Rare Her Feb. 29 Birthday Really Is

Leap years add an extra day to February, making it a unique event that happens only once every four years. Not only does this phenomenon lead to quirky Leap Day content like the exact story you're reading right now, but it also creates a special group of people with February 29th birthdays, known as leap year babies or "leaplings." Colby Angelle from Lafayette, Louisiana, shares her experience as one of these rare individuals.

I sat with Angelle as she highlighted the rarity of her birthday. I was actually surprised when she mentioned she's yet to meet someone else born on February 29th. Despite having the maximum of 5,000 friends on Facebook, I could only count four people with a birthday today and she was one of them. Colby tells me that this rarity makes her leap-year birthday even more special.

In our conversation, Angelle shared what it's like to have a leap year birthday as well as the challenges and the fun aspects of celebrating it. I was particularly intrigued at how she deals with the off years when February 29th doesn't appear on the calendar.

What has it been like to be someone with a leap year birthday?

"It’s been fun! Having a leap year birthday is pretty unique and I’ve always felt super special since it just comes every 4 years! Friends will say things like they’ve been waiting 4 years to tell me happy birthday!"

How many people do you actually know with a birthday on the 29th?

"I’ve never met anyone yet! I belong to a Facebook group for Leaplings though and there’s a decent amount of us across the world! We share special ways we celebrate or commiserate about how a handful of rewards/loyalty programs don’t let us get our birthday rewards or certain apps don’t let us input our actual birthday. 😆"

Do you do anything special on a leap year?

"I do celebrate a little bit extra and go all out when there is an actual leap year and make sure everyone knows it! Planning a big trip this year!"

What day do you normally celebrate your birthday on when it’s not a leap year?

"I celebrate on February 28 when there is no leap year. But growing up friends and classmates would say it’s not my birthday yet and I was like ok I’m cool with a 2-day celebration! When I turned 21, there was no leap year that year. I went to the grocery store for my first official alcohol purchase with my friends and the cashier wouldn’t let me purchase it! It was February 28 which was technically my birthday that year but the cashier said I either had to come back at midnight or March 1!"

Leap year birthdays come with their own set of unique experiences and stories. Despite the challenges, it's clear that Angelle embraces her special day with enthusiasm, celebrating extra on leap years (can you blame her?) and finding ways to mark the occasion even when her birthday doesn't officially exist on the calendar.

Her story was actually a fascinating look into the life of someone born on this rarest of dates, offering a glimpse into how leaplings navigate their unique birthdays.

Speaking of which, check out this trio of Leap Year babies who were born at Ochsner this year.

Happy birthday to all the Leaplings out there, and if you have a Leap Day birthday, let us know so we can tell Colby that she's not Leaping alone in Lafayette!