Those celebrating Leap Day birthdays and anniversaries in South Lake Tahoe include siblings

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Every trip around the sun is not exactly 365 days, so once every four years the calendar gets adjusted with "Leap Day." Ancient astronomers knew this but it took until the year 45 B.C. to add that extra day to the calendar. Julius Caesar declared that year to be "Ultimus annus confusions," the last year of confusion.

We're not sure about the confusion part ending though.

February 29 is Leap Day, and it only shows up on the calendar once every four years - the same year as the Summer Olympics and presidential election.

What happens if you are born on February 29, when are you supposed to celebrate your birthday? Or if it's your wedding anniversary - do spouses get off the hook for annual gifts?

There is only a 1 in 1,461 chance of giving birth on the leap day, the rarest of birthdays, and about .11 percent of the population are born on this day. And to have two siblings with a leap day birthday? The odds are about 1 in 2,000,000.

That is exactly the case in South Lake Tahoe for Nick and Kathy Haven. In their family, Alexi was born on 2/29/04 and her brother Marcus came four years later on 2/29/08. Mom Kathy said middle child Christopher isn't a Leap Day baby so there is a joke in the family that he is actually the oldest since Alexi will be 5 this week, and Marcus 4 (in Leap Day years that is).

There is another oddity if someone wants to take on the mathematics. Alexi grew up with three other girls in South Lake Tahoe who were all born on Leap Day 2004. Three went to Bijou Elementary, and the other to the Magnet School in Meyers. Kathy doesn't know of any other local Leap Day babies who were born on the same day as Marcus.

The Haven family celebrates "all week" for their two "leapers" but cake usually makes its way out on Feb. 28 on the non-leap day years.

Alexi and her "soccer twin" Jenna Pevenage share the special birthday. They grew up playing soccer together (Jenna still plays for LTCC). They will be turning 5 (or 20 in non-leap years).

Another local, Theresa Papandrea, will also have a birthday on the 29th. When does she celebrate? "Since my birthday is in February, I celebrate in February," she said. Jenna said the same thing about her birthday.

As a "leaper" Theresa will be 11 this year, and her oldest daughter Kinsley is also 11, and she thinks it's "pretty cool" to be the same age as mom.

When do others celebrate their birthday the other three years when that extra calendar spot isn't there? Many chose Feb. 28th so that can celebrate during the month of birth as March 1 is too late. But some argue they can't celebrate early and blow out the candles in March. (Personally, I say let them have cake and gifts on both days!)

Barb Oaks LoCoco said her husband Joe was supposed to be born on 2/29/56 but his mother held on until March 1 so they wouldn't have to have such a confusing day for a birthday!

Other area "leapers" or "leaplings," as they are called, include Cailin Davendonis, Tiffany Kreutzer Coverdale, Manuel Manny Jimenez III, Liz Bush, Bedford Holmes, Caryl Pelcher, and Vincent Shelton.

It isn't just birthdays that are thrown off, but also weddings. Former El Dorado County resident Judy McCallum said it wasn't anything romantic that led her parents to get married on Leap Day - Cypress Gardens Florida was offering free weddings that day. Ryan and Jenn Roque were married on Leap Day as were Richard and Nancy McSorley. Kari Henderson replied to our Facebook survey as did Tessy Olivares, both will be celebrating anniversaries Thursday with their husbands.

Local Andrew Medina and his girlfriend Megan will be using February 29 as their wedding day this week. They'll be at the El Dorado County Courthouse to tie the knot. They have been together for 17 years, had some challenges as did their infant son who is turning 1, so it will truly be a family celebration.

So come this February 29, as Julius Caesar might have said, "Felix sit natalis dies," "Habeas felicitatem in die natus es," and "tanti auguri.”