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Bridgend dancer is a real leapling!
26.02.08
by Donal Campbell, Inishowen Independent
MARIA McCallion will be celebrating her birthday
next Friday but despite the fact that the Bridgend
woman is 24 years old there will only be six candles
on her cake. Why? Maria was born in a leap year -
February 29, 1984 to be precise - and is therefore
technically only celebrating her sixth birthday!
Maria, who works in the finance sector in Leeds, is
a ‘leapling’ - as those who are born on February 29
are known - and only gets to celebrate her real
birthday every four years. She hasn’t missed out on
annual festivities though, confirming to the
Inishowen Independent that when she was a youngster
she celebrated her birthday on March 1 but since
then generally has held it on February 28, staying
in the same month. |
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“That said,” she
laughs, “these days I generally pick the date that
suits me best, usually the one closest to the
weekend!”
However it is only in the leap year when February 29
actually exists, that Maria feels she has really
celebrated her birthday: “Well, that is the day. On
the other years, on a February 28 or March 1, it’s
not really my birthday and it doesn’t feel like my
birthday at all. I might feel some brief connection
at midnight on the 28th but that’s about it. It only
feels truly real on February 29.”
According to her mother Frances, Maria |
was born on 8.25pm on
Wednesday, February 29, 1984. Frances recalls with a
smile that an aunt living in Dublin, well aware of
the date, made the remark: “Could you not have held
on for a wee while!” “That was easier said than
done!” laughs Frances.
Maria says she has experienced no problems with
online forms which might not give the option of
filling out February 29 – some airlines apparently
don’t do February 29. “I’ve never come across that
to be honest and I have travelled quite a bit in the
last few years.”
Maria has been based in Leeds for four years now and
has travelled the world as a dancer with the
acclaimed Gaelforce show, which rivals Riverdance
and Lord of the Dance on stages around the world.
“I’ve been all over Europe with Gaelforce,” says
Maria, “We also toured in Taiwan and Canada. I may
go back and join the troupe this year but haven’t
made a final decision just yet.”
Either way she will be enjoying her real sixth
birthday on Friday next in Leeds. “I’ve a few
friends coming over and I’ve booked the day off
work. My birthday only comes around every four years
so I have to make the best of it!” |
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