Handy Weekday Counter (HWC, "hook")

Put a perpetual calendar at your fingertips

Here's a fun and easy way to find the day-of-week for any date on our Gregorian calendar. This page gives an overall summary of the basic Gregorian HWC system. For a detailed tutorial, click here. The tutorial also includes Medium and Advanced versions for additional speed, and instructions for using HWC with the Julian calendar.

Extravagant Claim

Once you've learned and practiced the Basic HWC method, you can find the day of week for any date on our Gregorian calendar, easily and reliably, within 30 seconds using only your brain and your hands.

You'll only need the most basic ability to add small numbers, to count by increments such as by 100's or by 12's, and to remember a few fun facts about dates. You don't need to divide or multiply anything or find any kind of remainders.

Even More Extravagant Claim

Once you've learned and practiced the Advanced HWC method, you should be able to do the longest example within 15 seconds.

And we still use only the most basic arithmetical and memory skills. We'll just include a little more information to remember. But it's all fun and easy.

Let's Begin...

The HWC Hand Positions

• The five fingers represent the five-day "work week" left-to-right.
  
  
• The side or "end" of the hand is Saturday ("weekend")
  
  
• The palm is Sunday (as in "Palm Sunday")
  
  
• The positions form a circle around the hand:
     Clockwise is forward.
     Counter-clockwise is backward.

Try them out by pointing with your right index finger, and tapping the positions in order. Move clockwise for several circuits, then counter-clockwise, and then short sequences that reverse directions. Be sure you don't skip the less familiar Saturday and Sunday positions.

Once you can move reliably from position to position in both directions, easily and reflexively, you are ready to learn the counting steps to find the weekday of your selected "target date."

To find the day-of-week of a Gregorian "target date"

Basic HWC using Doomsday Months

• Start: Pick the highest multiple-of-400 year, such as 1600 or 2000, that is not higher than your target year, and point to the index finger.
  
  
• Years: From that starting point, move to the highest year at each increment without exceeding the target year, as follows:
  • Centuries: To add 100 years, move back 2 positions (no more than 3 times)
  • Dozens: To add 12 years, move forward 1 position (no higher than year '96)
  • Quads: To add 4 years, move back 2 positions (no more than twice, but not after '96)
  • Singles: To add 1 year, move forward 1 position (no more than 3 times)
• Months: From memory, pick the Doomsday date for your target month (no move)
  (Mnemonic names are explained in the tutorial.)
  • Last or Leap: January 31 or 32, February 28 or 29 (use second date in leap year)
  • Elevator of March: March 0
  • Even Steven: April 4, June 6, August 8, October 10, December 12
  • Odd Job: May 9, July 11, September 5, November 7
• Days: (Move day-by-day) Move forward 1 to add a day, or backward 1 to subtract a day, until you find the target day. As a shortcut (if more than seven days away):
  • Find the elevator: Move day-by-day to the nearest multiple of seven (0, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35).
  • Ride the elevator to your "floor": Without moving, choose the multiple of seven ("floor") nearest your target day.
  • Step out of the elevator: Move day-by-day to the target day.
• Read the ending HWC hand position as the day of the week.

Basic HWC using Quarterback Months

• Years: Start the same way as the first method, finding the appropriate multiple of 400, and counting your way through the 100's, 12's, 4's, and 1's to reach the target year. No difference so far.
  
  
• Quarter: Move to the end of the quarter containing your target month, as follows:
  • If March or earlier: Stay in place for March. (Found 1st quarter.)
  • If later than March: Move forward 1 from March to June. (Found 2nd quarter.)
  • Then if later than June: Move forward another 1 from June to "Ember."
  • Choose 3rd or 4th quarter: Rename "Ember" to September (3rd quarter) or December (4th quarter), depending on the quarter you need.
• Back as needed: Having found March, June, September, or December, you may need to go back one or two months. How many positions you move depends on the size of the earlier month into which you are moving. You will be finding the Elevator ("7's") position of each month in turn by counting backward to the 28th:
  • 31: In most cases, you will move back 3 positions, because you are entering a 31-day month. The exceptions are February, April, and November.
  • 30: If you are going back into April or November (30 days each), move back 2 positions.
  • 28 or 29: If you are going back into February (28 or 29 days), in a common year make no move; in a leap year, move back 1 position.
• Days: Having found the Elevator postion in the target month:
  • Ride to your "floor": Without moving, select 0, 7, 14, 21, or 28, whichever is nearest your target day of month.
  • Step out day-by-day to the target day.
• Read the ending HWC hand position as the day of week.

All Done!

See, it's easy, no?...No?...Then take a look at the full length tutorial.