The Monday's child rhyme
This old English fortune-telling rhyme was first recorded in Devon in 1838, and versions differ slightly from place to place. There's no truth in it, but most people still like to know which line is theirs.
Monday's child is fair of face,
Tuesday's child is full of grace,
Wednesday's child is full of woe,
Thursday's child has far to go,
Friday's child is loving and giving,
Saturday's child works hard for a living,
And the child that is born on the Sabbath day
Is bonny and blithe, and good and gay.
How to work it out yourself
A normal year is 52 weeks and one day, so your birthday moves forward one weekday each year, or two when a 29 February falls in between. If you know what day your birthday falls on this year, you can count backwards to the year you were born, adding an extra step for each leap day.
Which day are most babies born on?
In the UK and many other countries, fewer babies are born at weekends than on weekdays. That's mostly because planned caesareans and inductions are usually booked for weekdays, so Saturday and Sunday birthdays are a little rarer.
Questions
What if I was born on 29 February?
Your real birthday only comes round in leap years, so the calculator shows the next true 29 February. Most leap-day babies celebrate on 28 February or 1 March in other years.
Will my birthday ever fall on the same day of the week I was born?
Yes, usually every 5, 6 or 11 years, depending on where the leap years fall. The calculator shows the next one.
Is my birth date stored anywhere?
Only in your own browser, so you don't have to type it again on other pages of this site. It's never sent to us or anyone else.