365 days in a year – Why not 364 or 366, know quickly 

365 days in a year: The reason for having 365 days in a year is related to the time taken by the Earth to revolve around the Sun. It takes approximately 365.25 days for the Earth to complete one revolution around the Sun. This means that there are approximately 365 days every year, but every four years an extra day is added (366 days) to balance it. This extra day is added as a leap year, which makes the month of February have 29 days, not 28.

If there were 364 days in a year, then over time our calendar system would not match with the Sun, and there could be an imbalance with the changes in the seasons. On the other hand, if there were 366 days in a year, then our calendar would gradually increase over time, and after a time the seasons would change.

The reason for having 365 days in a year is related to the time taken by the Earth to revolve around the Sun. To understand this, we need to understand the motion of the Earth and the structure of our calendar.

1. Earth’s Revolution Around the Sun

The Earth revolves around the Sun in a circular orbit, and this is called a “solar year”. This whole journey (or one revolution) is completed in 365.2422 days. This means that a year has 365 days, but it has a small extra period (about 0.2422 days or 5 hours, 48 minutes).

2. Calendar and Calculation of Years

To keep the calendar organized, it is divided into some standard days, so that it simplifies the routine of life. So, we consider 365 days as a normal year, but add an extra day every 4 years to balance that extra time. This is called a “leap year”.

3. The Leap Year Connection

Since every year has 365.2422 days, it does not fit exactly into 365 days. Therefore, an extra day (the 366th day) needs to be added every four years. This extra day is added to the month of February, making February have 29 days (not the usual 28 days).

Leap years occur every four years, but there are some specific rules:

If the year is divisible by 4, it is a leap year.

If it is also divisible by 100, it will not be a leap year, unless it is also divisible by 400.