Leap year starting on Wednesday

Lore & Background

In the Gregorian calendar, leap years starting on Wednesday, along with those starting on Tuesday, occur at a rate of approximately 14.43% of all leap years in a 400-year cycle, or 3.5% of all years. The corresponding ISO year has 53 weeks. In the Julian calendar, this leap year type occurs exactly once in a 28-year cycle, repeating after 700 years (25 cycles). The year's position in the cycle is given by ((year + 8) mod 28) + 1.

Reader's Guide

Leap years starting on Wednesday are notable for their specific pattern of Friday the 13ths and Saturday the 13ths. They have two Friday the 13ths, in March and November, and only one Saturday the 13th, in June. Common years starting on Thursday share the same Friday the 13th pattern but also have one in February. Leap years starting on Sunday share a similar three-month gap between Friday the 13ths. The holidays in such a year include Valentine's Day on a Friday, Christmas on a Friday, and the leap day (February 29) on a Saturday. In the United States, this is the only leap year when Memorial Day and Father's Day are 27 days apart, and when the start of Daylight Saving Time and Labor Day are 183 days apart. In Canada, it is the only leap year when Victoria Day and Labour Day are 34 days apart (or sixteen weeks apart). In the British Isles, Father's Day falls on its latest possible date, June 21. These unique date relationships make the year distinctive for calendar enthusiasts and those tracking holiday patterns.

Did You Know?

• The most recent leap year starting on Wednesday was 2020; the next will be 2048 in the Gregorian calendar.
• In the Julian calendar, 2004 and 2032 are leap years starting on Wednesday.
• This leap year type has two Friday the 13ths (March and November) and one Saturday the 13th (June).