Calderdale woman gets set to celebrate her '12th birthday' on February 29

Most of us get excited when our birthday falls on a weekend, but leap year baby Ruth has patiently waited for her actual birthday to roll around again on Saturday, after not having a real birthday for three years.

The former Todmorden High School teacher said: “My husband always laughs at me and tells me I could celebrate it whenever, but I like to keep my birthday as the last day of February.”

Leap days, officially known as intercalary days, exist because the calendar year does not exactly follow the earth’s orbit around the sun.

Each year around six hours is left over, which is compiled into February 29 every four years.

Ruth says that leap year birthdays feel more special, and that birthdays on normal years are more casual.

“When I was little, most of my birthdays were quite low key.

“There was always something for my birthday, but on leap years my mum made sure to make a big deal out of it.

“I can remember having a big party and a lovely cake on my fourth and eighth, or first and second, birthdays,” she said.

Ruth is originally from Mytholmroyd and now lives at Blackshaw Head, above Hebden Bridge.

The mum of two says that her sons, fifteen-year-old Edward and fourteen-year-old William, find her unusual birthday very entertaining, especially as they began to overtake her in birthdays.

“When my youngest turned thirteen he used to joke about reaching his teens first,” said Ruth.

Twenty years ago, Ruth welcomed in the new millennium in style.

The year 2000 was also a leap year, and Ruth used this opportunity to throw a huge party for her seventh “proper birthday.”

“Leap year birthdays just feel more special to me.

“Even though it’s technically my 48th, I’ll be making a bigger deal out of this birthday then when I turn 50.

“Birthdays on February 29 feel more significant than the traditional landmark years.”