The shortest month of the year gets an added day on this leap year – on this February 29th. According to some customs, while it is the man’s duty to ask the woman for her hand in marriage, women could propose only on leap days. I assume this is a special day for anyone who is celebrating their birthday today, known as “leaplings”, since, strictly speaking, their birthday doesn’t come around just every year.
One very special birthday today is of His All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople born on this day in 1940.
Eis polla eti despota!
Happy Birthday (Chronia Polla) Patriarch Bartholomew. If my math is correct — with leap year (February 29) coming just once every 4 years — Patriarch Bartholomew is “technically” only 18 years old today; however, in “the real world” Patriarch Bartholomew turned 72 today.
May “the Green Patriarch” live to be 100 or more!
Happy Birthday Patriarch Bartholomew, February 29th is a special day!