Gary gives top tips on making leap year celebrations count
AYEAR can feel like a long time to wait for a birthday to come around. How would you feel if you had to wait four years every time you wanted a slice of birthday cake?
Gary Docherty, an admin manager from Bellshill, has today officially turned eight.
He told the Glasgow Times: “This year, I’m going to be eight. I’m excited about my birthday because this year I’ll have a real birthday and can stretch out the celebrations to last over three days.”
He’s been around for the last 32 years, but having a birthday that falls on February 29 has allowed Gary the time to work out his own unique approach to birthday celebrations.
“Every other year I have my birthday on February 28 and March 1, and I make sure it lasts two days. On the years that the 29th comes around, I make sure it lasts the three days.”
A person born on February 29 can be called a “leapling” or a “leaper”.
“On my 5th birthday my friends and I went out dressed as school children, wearing school uniforms, because you’re five when you start school,” laughed Gary.
As turning eight means he’s in the prime of his youth, Gary is taking this year’s festivities to the ultimate party destination – Las Vegas.
Being a leapling can be quite confusing for some. The law allows that someone born on February 29 will turn 18 on March 1 of their 18th year.
“Having a leap year birthday doesn’t really affect my life other than having to explain to people I’m not winding them up, and I genuinely do have a birthday on February 29,” said Gary.
“That’s probably the worst part. It’s a conversation starter, nothing else.
“My advice for anyone else born on a leap year is that when your birthday comes around, stretch it out. It’s not very often someone is born on a day that only comes around every four years – you may as well make it last.”
Many leaplings must be alive for a whopping eight decades before they are “legally” allowed to drink, but Gary isn’t worried about getting ID’d.
“I won’t hit legal age to drink until I’m 72. My gran always tells me I’m the boy that will never grow old. I suppose it’s easy to act your age when you’re only eight.”