A leap year baby who is 28 but has only had seven birthdays - says it's "special" to only celebrate once every four years.<br /><br />Chantal Breland, 28, was born on February 29, 1996 - a leap year - and says her 'real age' confuses “a lot” of people. <br /><br />Chantal doesn’t see her non-leap year birthdays as much of a celebration.<br /><br />But as this year is a leap year she plans to get dressed up and has sent colour-coordinated invitations to a big party at a club. <br /><br />Chantal, a hairstylist, from Algonquin, Illinois, said: “I love being a leap year baby - it feels really special, only being able to celebrate every four years.<br /><br />“Nobody really understands my real age - it always takes a long conversation with the bouncer if I want to go to a club. <br /><br />“I’ve always done big leap year birthdays - it only comes around every four years.”<br /><br />Growing up, Chantal's family always got her a cake on the February 28 and her <br /> celebrations were often low-key. <br /><br />Once every four years, her family would take her bowling, ice skating, or throw a big party for all her friends.<br /><br />As she got older, she continued throwing huge, extravagant parties for her leap year birthdays.<br /><br />A college professor threw a party for her and her entire class in 2016 when she was turning 20 - but her leap year age was just five. <br /><br />For her 24th birthday in 2020 Chantal and her friends colour co-ordinated "hot pink outfits" with balloons and invitations and went to a bar in Chicago.<br /><br />She said: “Generally, I didn’t really understand what my birthday was - all I knew is we celebrated with a cake or a dinner most years, and every so often we’d have a big party. <br /><br />“My leap year parties would be amazing - we’d go bowling, skating, throw parties at the house with multiple people there. <br /><br />“I did eventually catch on with that being every four years - at school, they taught us about leap years and my friends would freak out about my ‘real age.'"<br /><br />Chantal has said she’s “tired” of explaining her two ages to different people - and says she always finds herself in unwanted conversations.<br /><br />She says people get confused about how it works - and she always has to clarify which years are leap years. <br /><br />Chantal said: “People just don’t get it.<br /><br />“There’s a lot of general confusion where bouncers, for example, won’t understand my real age.<br /><br />“They’ll look at the date of my birthday - and once it’s clicked, they’ll try and tell me their cousin’s-sister’s-brother’s-husband also has a leap year birthday.<br /><br />“And it’s like, okay!”<br /><br />Her 10th “official” birthday will coincide with her 40th birthday - which she calls her “golden birthday”. <br /><br />She has already begun planning it with her husband, Kristopher, 28, an aquarist, and her best friend, N’Crai Pittman, 27, an aesthetician. <br /><br />Chantal said: “I’d love to get dressed up and organise something along with my husband and my best friend. <br /><br />“I’m treating it as my golden birthday. I’m sure I’ll have kids by then, so I’ll want a whole-family party with all my friends too.
