Hello, Northbrook, Say Happy Birthday To Leap Year Baby Patricia

NORTHBROOK, IL — It's an amazing feat, but Northbrook resident Patricia Young is still a "teenager" even though she's about to turn 80.

Young, a Northbrook Patch reader who responded to our survey on what it’s like to be born on leap day, is among about 200,000 Americans celebrating their true birthdays Thursday. The odds of being born on leap day are about 1 in 1,461.

Most leaplings, as they’re sometimes called, celebrate their birthdays on either Feb. 28 or March 1. But when leap years roll around, they go big or go home.

"As an adult and young mother, I held 'unbirthday' parties during the 'off' years, for my women friends and they brought their children," Young tells Patch. "Later I'd get a group together to meet for dinner — even during my late in life medical training."

Young said she now has a Ladies Luncheon at her home with mixer games for her multigenerational friends.

"My last Feb. 29 party was just before the shutdown for the pandemic," Young said. "Friends were to bring a childhood photo and all photos were placed on a large magnetic board where guests had to attempt to identify other guests by their decades' old photo. I have a new mixer game idea for my upcoming celebration."

• Read more: Leap Day Babies Dish On Feb. 29 Birthdays