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French calendar reading: a leap-day birthday

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Read an A1 French story about a 29 February birthday. Separate the birth date from the chosen celebration date in a year with only 28 February days.

In short

A birth date and a celebration date can be different. Maëlle was born on le 29 février. In the story’s 2026 calendar, February ends on the 28th, and she chooses dimanche 1er mars for her party because she works on Saturday.

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A birthday cake with candles next to a blank desktop calendar.
A birth date and a chosen party date can differ; follow Maëlle’s written dates below. Illustration: Atelier

Maëlle is arranging a birthday gathering. The story supplies the relevant calendar dates, so you do not need to calculate a leap-year rule. Follow three details: the date she was born, the last day shown in February this year and the day she chooses to meet her friends.

A1 · Dates and a personal choice

Un anniversaire entre deux mois

Je m’appelle Maëlle. Je suis née le 29 février 2000. Ma date de naissance1 est facile à retenir, mais mon anniversaire ne figure pas chaque année sur le calendrier2.

Cette année, en 2026, je regarde le mois de février3. Après le samedi 28, la page passe au dimanche 1er mars. Il n’y a pas de 29 février sur cette page. Mon amie Salomé me demande : « Alors, quand est-ce qu’on fait la fête ? Le 28 février ou le 1er mars ? »

Je travaille le samedi4 dans une librairie. Le dimanche, je suis libre. « On peut se retrouver le 1er mars, à quinze heures, chez moi », dis-je. Salomé note la date sur son téléphone. Elle ajoute aussi le mois, pour ne pas confondre les deux pages du calendrier.

J’envoie un message à mes amis : « Rendez-vous dimanche 1er mars pour fêter5 mon anniversaire ! » Mon frère répond tout de suite. Il apporte un gâteau au chocolat. Salomé prépare de la musique.

Le dimanche6, nous sommes six autour de la table. Une amie regarde ma carte et demande : « Tu es née en mars ? » Je souris. « Non, le 29 février ! Mais aujourd’hui, c’est le jour de la fête. »

Read it in English

My name is Maëlle. I was born on 29 February 2000. My birth date is easy to remember, but my birthday does not appear on the calendar every year.

This year, in 2026, I look at February. After Saturday the twenty-eighth, the page moves to Sunday 1 March. There is no 29 February on this page. My friend Salomé asks, “So when shall we have the party? On 28 February or 1 March?”

I work in a bookshop on Saturdays. On Sundays, I am free. “We can meet on 1 March at three in the afternoon, at my place,” I say. Salomé notes the date on her phone. She adds the month too, so that she does not mix up the two calendar pages.

I send a message to my friends: “Meet on Sunday 1 March to celebrate my birthday!” My brother replies immediately. He is bringing a chocolate cake. Salomé is preparing music.

On Sunday, six of us are around the table. A friend looks at my card and asks, “Were you born in March?” I smile. “No, on 29 February! But today is the party day.”

Question 1No account needed
What is Maëlle’s birth date?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

29 February. Maëlle explicitly says she was born on 29 February 2000.

Question 2No account needed
Why does she choose Sunday for this gathering?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

She is free on Sunday and works on Saturday.. The story gives her work schedule as the reason for choosing Sunday 1 March.

Question 3No account needed
Which date should Salomé put down for the party?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

1 March 2026. The invitation explicitly says dimanche 1er mars for the celebration.

Date de naissance labels when someone was born. Le jour de la fête labels this gathering. The story keeps those facts separate: a different party date does not rewrite Maëlle’s birth date. In a French date, the first day is written 1er, as in le 1er mars.

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