Big Island Now poll No. 50: How do you plan to spend Leap Day 2024?

Time is a commodity.

Many of us have probably uttered, “I just didn’t have time” or “If only I had an extra day” at least once in our lifetimes when we missed out on an opportunity, fumbled a deadline or even miffed on a special occasion.

But every 4 years, we get a chance to make up for it — at least a little — with an extra 24 hours.

This year is a leap year, and Thursday, Feb. 29, or Leap Day, is right around the corner. While it’s not an official holiday, it’s still a relatively rare bonus day on the calendar.

Are you one of the about 5 million “leaplings” or “leapers” around the world who were born on Feb. 29 or do you know one? If so, you’ll get to celebrate on the actual day for the first time since 2020.

There are also some quirky traditions and superstitions from around the world that go along with the extra day.

According to an article by Salon, Bachelor’s Day, a Leap Day tradition that originated in 5th century Ireland, was reserved for women to defy gender roles and be the ones to make marriage proposals.

The day was common by the 1800s, with similar traditions popping up in Finland, Scotland and parts of the United Kingdom. It even reached the United States by the early 20th century.

In Taiwan, married daughters are obligated to go home during leap year to bring a dish called pig trotter noodles to their parents to promote their longevity. The Salon article says the noodles dish is so tasty it’s believed to bring aging moms and dads good health and fortune.

There’s even a special cocktail for leap year.

Invented in 1928 by Harry Craddock, a London bartender at the Savoy Hotel, the “colorful cousin of the Martini” commemorated the hotel’s Leap Day celebrations. Check out how to make it in “The Savoy Cocktail Book.”

We all get that extra 24 hours this year, so maybe a cocktail is on the agenda Feb. 29. But what else could you use Leap Day to do?

Leave a comment here or on social media to tell us why you voted the way you did. The poll ends at midnight Feb. 23. Poll results will be published Feb. 25.