Google Doodle

Google celebrates Leap Day with homepage Doodle

Kyle Bradshaw | Feb 29 2020 - 12:56 am PT

Once every four years, we get an extra day in the month of February, which we’ve come to celebrate as Leap Day. Today, Google is celebrating Leap Day 2020 with an animated homepage Doodle.

To compensate for the fact that it takes approximately 365 days and six hours for the Earth to revolve around the Sun, the Gregorian calendar adds an extra day into the month of February every four years — give or take a few extra rules about years that mark a new century, like 1900 and 2000.

As 2020 is a leap year, we have a February 29th, which has become known as Leap Day. In celebration of Leap Day, Google has rolled out a new homepage Doodle in which the number 29 can be seen jumping — or leaping — between the numbers 28 and 1. This is, of course, a metaphor for the extra day between the normal end of February and the start of March.

Owners of Pixel phones can also see a version of this Doodle on their home screen, with the two digits of the number 29 leaping out onto the search bar to bounce around, just like in the main Doodle.

While every other country of the world is enjoying the Leap Day doodle, Google visitors in Indonesia actually have a different treat in store. On this day in 1936 — another leap year — famed Indonesian novelist NH Dini was born, and Google is honoring her memory with a wonderfully illustrated Doodle.

“Literature is actually nutritious food for humans’ souls and minds. It is the basic foundation of humanity, a reflection of society, reality, knowledge, and wisdom,” said Indonesian novelist NH Dini, whose life and work are celebrated in today’s Doodle, illustrated by Jakarta-guest artist Kathrin Honesta.