schrikkelpauze

Schrikkelpauze, a Dutch term, translates directly to "leap pause" or "leap intermission." It refers to the period of time that occurs during a leap year where an extra day is added to the month of February, making it 29 days instead of the usual 28. This extra day is known as February 29th, or "schrikkeldag" in Dutch.

The purpose of the schrikkelpauze is to synchronize the calendar year with the astronomical year. The Earth's orbit around the Sun doesn't take exactly 365 days; it takes approximately 365.2422 days. Without the addition of an extra day periodically, the calendar would gradually drift out of sync with the seasons.

Leap years, and thus the schrikkelpauze, are implemented according to a set of rules. A year is generally a leap year if it is divisible by four. However, years divisible by 100 are not leap years, unless they are also divisible by 400. This system ensures that the calendar remains remarkably accurate over long periods.

The concept of adding an extra day to compensate for the discrepancy between the calendar and the Earth's orbit is not unique to the Dutch schrikkelpauze. Most modern calendars, including the Gregorian calendar, incorporate this correction. The term "schrikkelpauze" specifically highlights this temporary "pause" or extension in the usual annual cycle.