In earlier times, calendar-based sayings helped shape people’s lives. Family Tree Magazine author Nick D’Alto, who put together an article about online calendar tools for your genealogy research (look for his advice in the November 2007 issue, on newsstands Sept. 11), found a few:

Household Chores
Wash on Monday
Iron on Tuesday
Mend on Wednesday
Churn on Thursday
Clean on Friday
Bake on Saturday
Rest on Sunday.

The Little House Cookbook, which has recipes and background from Laura Ingalls Wilder’s series, explains the logic behind the chore schedule: Clean on Friday and bake on Saturday to have a neat house and fresh bread for Sunday, on Monday you wash the dust and flour off your clothes (and do this hard work after a day of rest), then iron and mend the now-clean attire.

When to Marry
Monday for wealth,
Tuesday for health,
Wednesday best day of all,
Thursday for losses,
Friday for crosses,
Saturday, no luck at all.

Birthdays
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,
But a child born on Sabbath-day
Is always bonny good and gay.

I was born on a Sunday, so I suppose that bodes well. Do you know another calendar-based rhyme? Click Comment to share it.