Leap years are a human construct designed to keep people’s calendars in line with the changing seasons and the Earth’s orbit around the sun. But to some, leap day – which occurs Feb. 29 about every four years – offers a unique chance to appreciate the simple things in life.

For some, leap years serve as a reminder for some significant event that occurred years ago in their personal lives.For others, the quadrennial events are simply an extra day to enjoy mild, late-winter temperatures.

Although nothing is significantly different about leap years except for an extra day on the calendar, for some it represents an extra day to appreciate being alive.

On Wednesday, people around Durango shared their thoughts about leap years ahead this year’s occasion – which falls on Thursday.

Durango resident Sam Hunt, 27, said she will be boarding a plane on Thursday to meet up with a longtime childhood friend for a bachelorette party.

She said she is grateful for the opportunity to see her best childhood friend.

“I thought that would be a fun leap year thing. I guess it happened to work out that way,” she said. “We’re going to be seeing old friends on a day that doesn’t happen very often.”

Doug Wiseman, 52, of Bayfield, fondly recalled a leap year party he attended several years ago. He didn’t mention any parties planned for this year, but he said the timing of leap year 2024 is sparing him some work.

“I don’t have to do inventory at work tomorrow (Thursday) because I work on Friday and tomorrow would have been the first (of the month) if it wasn’t the 29th,” he said. “I’ll be off and so my assistant will have to do it.”

He covered his mouth and laughed.

Wiseman said he understands the necessity of leap day and its function to keep the calendar lined up with the seasons, but he has never thought of it more deeply until now.

“It’s just another great day to, hopefully, be alive,” he said.

Durango resident Leigh Morris shared a similar thought. She said she is always grateful to have another day “to breathe the air and be a healthy person.” She works in health care and deals with death and dying, so she sees no downside to having an “extra” day of life in February.

“If it’s weather like today, it’s another day to get outside under the blue sky,” said Sharon Mattox, 71, of Houston.

Similarly, Luca Haines and Casey Newell of Durango said an extra day in February is another chance to enjoy springlike weather and get outside.

“I’m pretty lucky in my life to not be ungrateful for a lot of things,” Haines said. “I think there’s not much there that I can complain about having an extra day.”

Newell, 38, said in addition to another day of nice weather, he likes leap years for exactly what they are: a way to keep calendars in line with the seasons.

According to Almanac.com, an extra day is needed about every four years because the real length of a year, 365.25 days, does not align with the Gregorian calendar year of 365 days. Without the extra day on a leap year, calendars and the seasons would eventually desync.

“I’m grateful that it keeps our calendar meshed up with the seasons. Because otherwise, it wouldn’t – and that would be weird,” Newell said.

For one Durango resident, who goes by JD, leap day is providing him with an extra day of cellphone coverage before his service provider cancels his plan in March. And for that, JD said he is grateful.

cburney@durangoherald.com