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This article is from the Calendars FAQ, by Claus Tondering claus@tondering.dk with numerous contributions by others.

2.10. Then what about leap years?

If the year started on, for example, 1 March, two months later than
our present year, when was the leap day inserted?

[The following information is to the best of my knowledge true. If
anyone can confirm or refute it, please let me know.]

When it comes to determining if a year is a leap year, since AD 8 the
Julian calendar has always had 48 months between two leap days. So, in
a country using a year starting on 1 March, 1439 would have been a
leap year, because their February 1439 would correspond to February
1440 in the January-based reckoning.

 

Continue to:

• prev: 2.9. Has the year always started on 1 January?
• Index
• next: 2.11. What is the origin of the names of the months?

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