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Leap Day: The Story Behind This Quirky Calendar Event
26 FEBRUARY 2016 SPACE.COM JOE RAO
Monday is Feb. 29 -- the bisextle of "leap day," an artifact that dates back to the year 46 B.C.
Back then, Julius Caesar took the advice of the learned astronomer Sosigenes of Alexandria, who knew from Egyptian experience that the tropical year (also know as the solar year) was about 365.25 days in length. So to account for that residual quarter of a day, an extra day -- a leap day -- was added to the calendar every four years.
This new "Julian" calendar was used throughout the Roman Empire and by various Christian churches. At that time, February was the last month of the year.
Initially, in order to make a proper transition from the Roman calendar (which had 355 days and which was basically a lunar calendar) to the Julian calendar, and to get the months and various feast days and holidays back into their normal seasons, 90 extra days into three temporary months.
One month was added between February and March. Two other months (Intercalaris Prior and Intervalaris Posterior) were added after November. The end result was a year that was 15 months and 445 days long, and was nicknamed Annus Confusionus -- the Year of Confusion.
... The Julian calendar worked so well at first that many countries adopted it. Unfortunately, it was flawed, being 0.0078 of a day (about 11 minutes and 14 seconds) longer than the tropical year.
So, the Julian calendar introduced an error of one day every 128 years, which means that, every 128 years, the tropical year shifts one day backward with respect to the calendar. This made the method for calculating the dates for Easter inaccurate.
As a result, bu the year 1582 -- thanks to the overcompensation of observing too many leap years -- the calendar had fallen out of step with the solar year by a total of 10 days... Read More
5 Chick Houseplants and How to (Finally) Keep Them Alive
26 FEBRUARY 2016 VOGUE BROOKE BOBB
On one Particularly wintry morning during New York Fashion Week, all eyes were fixed not only on the clothes and the Wyeth furniture at The Row presentation, but also on the spectacular plants dotting the showroom, which included aloe, succulents, and banana trees arranged by EriN Design. Months before that, Brother Vellies designer Aurora James showed Vogue the eclectic arrangement of hanging vines and fiddle leaf fig trees in her apartment. In the fashion and design worlds, there seems to be afascination with the houseplant and the idea of the 1970s-era interior jungle.If you're not ready to commit to an entire jungle, just a houseplant or two will make a real statement in your home, as long as you know how to properly care for it. There's really nothing sadder than a sagging palm with browning leaves. Tassy de Give knows this well; she's the co-owner of Sprout Home, a lovely and thoughtfully stocked florist and garden design studio in Brooklyn. Here, De Give shares five chic starter plants and her expertise on how to give each the perfect amount of love and attention. Read More
How to Rock the Stud Earring With the Subtle Sophistication of Sienna Miller
"Larkspur & Hawk's garnet-inspired piece with rose-gold setting has a warm quality, while Ippolita's button version in topaz and yellow gold offer a modern take on high-society style."
26 FEBRUARY 2016 VOGUE EDWARD BARSAMIAN, BROOKE ELY DANIELSON
Admittedly, one of the main reasons we're looking forward to Sunday's Oscars red carpet is all the dazzling jewelry moments it will undoubtedly bring. From Lupita Nyong'o's Fred Leighton tiara to Margot Robbie's larger-than-life Van Cleef & Arpels necklace, this is a night that rewards in blinged-out spades. But translating these ideas into something wearable beyond awards night is entirely different...... Here, eight pairs for maximum wattage with a sophisticated finish. View / Read More
Your Spring 2016 Perfume Personality Quiz
25 FEBRUARY 2016 VOGUE MACKENZIE WAGONER
Today in Milan, Jeremy Scott provided another playful take on bad-girl dressing for Moschino, with up-to-there denim shorts, fishnet tights, and handcuff belts aplenty. It's a formula he's distilled to a near science, and the latest Moschino fragrance, Fresh Couture, with its citrus, bergamot, and white flower notes mingling in an ersatz Windex-like bottle, is, quite literally, on the nose. But this sunny, heady take on scent (which plays nicely with hairspray, we might add) is not for every rule breaker. What of the moodier introverts, who sway more Simpsons than SpongeBob?For these artists, baristas, and graphic designers, Comme des Garcons's latest fragrance, Dot, is the olfactory equivalent of Rei Kawakubo's voluminous shapes and unexpected textures. Its wearer can meditate on the woodsy allure of osmanthus flowers, brightened with pepper and grounded with frankincense, while they trim their asymmetrical bobs. All of which is to say: This season, your fragrance can be a as uniquely you as your wardrobe. The only question is which one should you wear? Take the quiz to find out. Read More
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