How to celebrate a leap year in Germany

Traditionally, leap years have been thought to bring bad luck, though that's never been proven. Want to avoid being unlucky in Germany? Here, lady bugs, pigs, four-leaf clovers and chimney sweeps are set to bring good luck - and could come in handy on February 29.

According to an old farmers' proverb, "Schaltjahr wird Kaltjahr" - literally, "leap year will be a cold year." Meteorologists cannot confirm the proverb as a rule. But it would be wise to not pack up your wool sweaters just yet even if the winter months 2019/2020 have actually been unseasonably warm in Germany.

Planning to marry your partner? City halls in Germany probably have plenty of room on February 29. It's not necessarily unlucky, as in Greece, but is not popular. Leap years in general see lots of weddings. In Germany, any more weddings took place in 2004, 2012 and 2016 than previous years.

While leap years are supposed to be unlucky, one rather happy German tradition gets a new twist every four years. In non-leap years in the night before May 1, teenage boys in the Rhine region fell birch trees, decorate them with streamers and affix them to the front of the house of the girl they admire - making a tall and public decoration of love. In leap years, it's the girls turn to do it.

You can choose your wedding date, but not your birthday. For children, having to wait four years for their real birthday can be trying, but adults may find it refreshing to stay young. Plus, they have a few celebrity role models in Germany. Top model Lena Gercke and national soccer star Benedikt Höwedes (pictured) were both born on February 29, so the special day certainly can't be that unlucky.