It's a special day for Fay Bartlett -- the 84-year-old's celebrating her 21st.
"I feel it's very special this time because it's actually on the 29th," she said.
It might be 63 years late but Fay's partying in style.
Yesterday her family had an afternoon tea and tonight they are throwing her a 21st birthday party -- and the novelty's not lost on Fay.
"I have three grandchildren who are older than me -- and how many people can say that?"
"Not many people my age can say that they've been to their mothers 21st birthday party, so it's pretty special," Fay's daughter Rosie said.
And it's all because the Earth takes around 365.25 days to orbit the sun every year. It's that 0.25 that creates the need for a leap year every four years, and thus the date February 29 came into existence.
This means that for three out of four years, people born on that day -- known as "leaplings" or "leapers" - have to celebrate their birthdays on either February 28 or March 1.
"I feel on the 28th that it's not special, that I'm missing out a bit -- but it makes it special when it is 29," Ms Bartlett said.
Fay says when she originally celebrated her 21st -- all those years ago -- it didn't feel the way it should.
"Today is more special because I'm 21," she said.
And she thinks this birthday will be the best one yet.
Newshub.
