St Albans leap year twins celebrate “second” birthday in eight years

The Nelson family, mum Emily, dad Jamie, Charlotte, 9, Emma and Jamie, 8 celebrate their twin daughters birthday on February the 29th (Image: Archant)

Identical twins Jessie and Rosie Nelson were born on February 29 2008, meaning they have only celebrated two birthdays on that actual day, the first of which was back in 2012.

Dad Jamie Nelson, 44, of Salisbury Avenue, St Albans, said the girls normally celebrated on both February 28 and March 1.

He added: “They somehow normally wangle two days of birthday celebrations. Emma, my wife, is Welsh so she likes it to be on March 1 (St David’s Day)!

“Rosie says she’s happy and excited. Rosie is very interested in space, so she likes the actual explanation behind the existence of leap years. How long it takes for earth to orbit the sun and so on.

“Jessie says she feels good but it feels a bit weird. They both say they feel very special.”

They celebrated with a weekend in Center Parcs and party with friends on Monday (29) at their home.

Jamie continued: “We have a house full of eight shaped balloons with a few twos as well!

“It’s led to the twins being demons at their four times table and very good at fractions as well. They’ve been one and three-quarter years old for this last year!”