35,000 ‘unlucky’ Turks celebrate birthday

ISTANBUL – Anadolu Agency

AA photo

Some 35,000 Turks celebrated their birthday on Feb. 29, four years after their last birthday, state-run Anadolu Agency has reported.

Every leap year, which occurs because a day is added keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical year, the date Feb. 29 appears on calendars. Unfortunately for those who were born on leap days, they get to celebrate their birthdays on leap years only.

According to the numbers from Interior Ministry’s General Directorate of Civil Registration and Nationality, there are some 35,033 people who were born on Feb. 29 across Turkey. While some 18,119 of these are men, number of women born on Feb. 29 is 16,914.

Largest number of people born on Feb. 29 are registered in Istanbul. The northwestern province of Yalova, on the other hand, has the smallest number of people who were born on this day.

There are national and international celebrities who were born on the day, along with other famed persons.

Turkish actor Nejat İşler, actress Nilüfer Aydan and footballer Çağdaş Atan who played both for Trabzonspor and Beşiktaş are among the national celebrities who were born on Feb. 29.  World renowned painter Balthus, actor Jessie Usher, Algerian singer Cheb Khaled and Patriarch Bartholomew I of Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarch are some of the internationally known names born on Feb. 29.