2024 is a leap year. Here's what to know and when Easter, other holidays are next year
2024 is upon us.
Whether that's a good or bad thing is up to you — but one thing is certain: time keeps moving forward. And 2024 will have an extra day thanks to a leap year.
Here's what you need to know about important dates in 2024:
Leap day in February
This year, expect a Feb. 29 and move all the holidays in your mental calendar back a day because it's a leap year.
Every four years, those using the Julian and Gregorian calendars enjoy a new day on Feb. 29. That's because the astronomical year — meaning the time it takes the earth to rotate around the sun — is a quarter of a day longer than the 365-day calendar, meaning a new day every four years is needed to correct it.
Prepare for an early Easter in March
Easter falls on March 31 this year, meaning it is on the earlier side of the range of dates the Christian religious holiday can fall on (March 22 to April 25).
According to an analysis of the past 500 years, however, March 31 is tied with April 16 as the most common date for Easter, according to Statista, a data-research website.
Calculating the date for Easter is a complex and ancient process dating back to the 1500s, which replaced older systems before it, according to USA Today. The simplest way to explain the date of Easter is that it falls on the first Sunday after the full moon that follows the spring equinox.
Full list of holiday dates for 2024:
Monday, Jan. 1: New Year's Day
Monday, Jan. 15: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Wednesday, Feb. 14: Valentine's Day
Monday, Feb. 19: Presidents' Day
Thursday, Feb. 29: Leap day
Sunday, March 17: St. Patrick's Day
Sunday, March 31: Easter Sunday
Monday, April 1: Easter Monday (in observance of the federal holiday)
Monday, April 15: Tax Day
Sunday, May 5: Cinco de Mayo
Sunday, May 12: Mother's Day
Monday, May 27: Memorial Day
Friday, June 14: Flag Day
Sunday, June 16: Father's Day
Wednesday, June 19: Juneteenth
Thursday, July 4: Independence Day
Monday, Sept. 2: Labor Day
Monday, Oct. 14: Columbus Day
Thursday, Oct. 31: Halloween
Tuesday, Nov. 5: Election Day
Monday, Nov. 11: Veterans Day
Thursday, Nov. 28: Thanksgiving Day
Tuesday, Dec. 24: Christmas Eve
Wednesday, Dec. 25: Christmas Day
Tuesday, Dec. 31: New Year's Eve
@Colebehr_report
Cbehrens@dispatch.com
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Leap year 2024: When holidays like Easter, Thanksgiving happen
