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Over half of Russians surveyed do not believe leap years bring misfortune — poll

Despite the "extra" day in the year, the respondents are optimistic about the future

MOSCOW, January 29. /TASS/. More than half of Russians (60%) surveyed do not believe that people are more likely to encounter various problems during a leap year than in an ordinary year with 365 days, the results of a poll by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM), published on the pollster's website, indicate.

"Only every third [respondent] among those people aware of this superstition (34%) believe that a leap year can actually bring misfortune. Over half of the people polled in this group put no faith in this belief (61%)," the report outlining the poll findings reads.

Seven out of ten respondents have heard about the superstition that people experience more difficulties during an intercalary year or bissextile year, the technical terms for a leap year, which has 366 days. Twenty-seven percent of Russians are still more inclined to attach negative characteristics to leap years, however, sometimes explaining such opinions by citing higher mortality rates, as well as troubles and natural disasters awaiting humanity that occur in such years. One-third of citizens surveyed, however, are unaware of any ideas related to bissextile years (36%; 41% in 2020), while another 13% are undecided (24% in 2020).

Despite the "extra" day in the year, the respondents are optimistic about the future. Previously, nearly two-thirds of Russian citizens surveyed assessed that 2024 would be rather successful or simply positive for Russia (63%, or plus 18% over the year).

Furthermore, as a result, the nationwide future year expectations index broke the five-year record and amounted to 30 points out of 100 possible (3 points in 2018, 10 points in 2019, 0 points in 2020, 13 points in 2021, and 6 points in 2022).

About the survey

The nationwide VCIOM-Sputnik telephone survey was conducted on January 21, 2024. A total of 1,600 Russians over the age of 18 took part in it. The survey method was a phone interview via stratified random sampling. The given data were evaluated according to socio-demographic characteristics, with a 95% confidence interval and a margin of error not exceeding 2.5%.

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