Ephemera

Leap Day Birthday Cakes Have it Better, by Four

February 29, 2016

It’s probably a lot easier to spot the differences than the similarities between Ja Rule and Jerry/Larry/Terry Gergich.

4 cakes, 1 day, every 4 years. Photo by Bobbi Lin

For starters, one’s an actual person, while the other is a TV character; one has feuded publicly with DMX, while the other has quietly accepted a pie to the face. But what they do have in common is a birthday that only comes once every four years.

Most of us take it for granted that our birthdays are an annual event—we know when to expect cake and an onslaught of Facebook messages from people we haven’t seen in years. But what happens to the people born on a Leap year? Do they celebrate on February 28th or March 1st? Is this something their parents decide at birth? Does it feel like a real birthday? We don’t know, but we say let them eat cake. Four cakes—because it just seems right. So if you’re turning 10 (like Ja Rule) or 17 (like Jerry), it’s time to stack ‘em up.

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Happy birthday, Leapers!

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Top Comment:
“Hello fellow leapers I like to celebrate mine in the month of February since I was born in February however I will celebrate it February 28 and March 1 heck since it only comes around once every four years might as well take advantage of the other three years LOL ”
— Denise B.
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Any Leapers out there? Tell us how you celebrate in the comments below!

See what other Food52 readers are saying.

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Kaitlin Bray

Written by: Kaitlin Bray

My desert island ingredients are salt, olive oil, and lemon.

5 Comments

Nicole L. February 29, 2016
Can I PLEASE have the recipe for those 4 delicious looking cakes?! Yum Yum!
 
Ashley February 29, 2016
What a beautiful cake! I love this idea. And as a Leaper, I really wish you'd posted this earlier so I would have had time to do it! Now I have to wait four years...
 
Denise B. February 29, 2016
Hello fellow leapers
I like to celebrate mine in the month of February since I was born in February however I will celebrate it February 28 and March 1 heck since it only comes around once every four years might as well take advantage of the other three years LOL
 
Jean H. February 29, 2016
My husband is a Leaper. He turns 17 today. Unfortunately he will be getting a root canal today :(
 
Connor B. February 29, 2016
Thank goodness Ja Rule's birthday got some love, it's my favorite holiday.