Josh McConnell has had the same conversation so often itB次元官网网址檚 starting to feel like heB次元官网网址檚 reading off a script.

He and his wife are gearing up to celebrate their first anniversary, the Toronto-based writer will tell a co-worker or acquaintance. B次元官网网址淚 thought youB次元官网网址檇 been married for years,B次元官网网址� they respond.

Both things are true: McConnell and his partner married on Feb. 29, 2020, so this is the first year theyB次元官网网址檒l be able to celebrate on the same calendar day they were wed. It gives them an uncommon anniversary B次元官网网址� and a fun talking point.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 like itB次元官网网址檚 all rehearsed,B次元官网网址� he said in a recent phone interview. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 something fun about that, which is kind of juicy.B次元官网网址�

In practical terms, McConnell and his wife do celebrate their anniversary every year. Their Feb. 29 wedding was held in her native New Zealand, when it was still Feb. 28 in his home country of Canada.

B次元官网网址淲e play the logical card,B次元官网网址� he said.

When they got married, they planned to splash out every Feb. 29 and keep their Feb. 28 anniversaries low-key.

ThatB次元官网网址檚 still the plan B次元官网网址� for upcoming leap years. Family circumstances have led them to delay a planned New Zealand trip until 2025, so this year theyB次元官网网址檙e going out for a nice dinner and theyB次元官网网址檒l do something big again in 2028.

Even with the smaller-than-expected festivities, McConnell said he and his partner are taking this time to reflect on all the changes in their lives since 2020.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a real moment to be like: a lot has happened in four years,B次元官网网址� McConnell said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a cool way to mark the journey.B次元官网网址�

Though leap years serve a practical purpose above all B次元官网网址� by keeping our annual calendar in line with the EarthB次元官网网址檚 365.242-day trip around the sun B次元官网网址� theyB次元官网网址檝e long been tied up with folklore, particularly around marriage.

Old European tradition held that women could propose to men on leap day B次元官网网址� unlike the rest of the year, when men were expected to pop the question to their female partners.

In the modern era, some local governments are hyping leap day weddings B次元官网网址� including the municipality of Kawartha Lakes, Ont.

B次元官网网址淟eap into marriage at Kawartha Lakes City HallB次元官网网址� for just $400, city staff suggested in a recent press release.

A spokeswoman said the slots had all filled up B次元官网网址� there will be seven weddings in the building on Thursday, including one B次元官网网址渄ouble wedding.B次元官网网址�

Shana DeRoche, who runs the Brampton, Ont.-based wedding planning company Dream Weaver Events, said sheB次元官网网址檚 never been asked to plan a leap day wedding, though she sees the appeal of getting married on an uncommon day.

But overall, she said fewer of her clients seem concerned with the significance of their wedding date these days.

B次元官网网址淧eople pre-pandemic really cared about when their anniversary was, tried really hard to find a date that would have meaning, or meant something to someone else in their family, or was the anniversary of their first date,B次元官网网址� DeRoche said.

B次元官网网址淧ost-pandemic, I think people care about it a lot less.B次元官网网址�

SheB次元官网网址檚 not sure exactly why B次元官网网址� it could have to do with the way the pandemic put the important things into focus, or maybe it was the backlog of delayed weddings in 2020 and 2021 that made it hard for newly engaged couples to find a date.

Cassandra Cleveland, who married her husband Mackenzie on leap day 2020, just before the pandemic put weddings on hold, said theyB次元官网网址檙e thrilled they were able to squeeze their celebration in.

B次元官网网址淲e often refer to it as the last big party before the pandemic,B次元官网网址� she said by email from Vaughan, Ont., north of Toronto.

B次元官网网址淚t was the last time for quite a while that we saw many family members from all across the globe, and it was a really special memory to hold throughout the tough days of the pandemic.B次元官网网址�

The coupleB次元官网网址檚 lives are looking pretty different these days. They got a puppy in 2021, and their daughter was born nearly two years ago. In 2021, B次元官网网址�22 and B次元官网网址�23 they celebrated on March 1 B次元官网网址� the day after Feb. 28.

B次元官网网址淪ince itB次元官网网址檚 technically our B次元官网网址榝irstB次元官网网址� anniversary, we plan to celebrate with a big anniversary trip somewhere warm in the coming months,B次元官网网址� she said.

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