New study reveals what your day of birth really says about you
A 19th-century poem from England claimed to predict children's personality based on the day they were born
The day you were born has been linked to how your personality and life will be determined for two centuries, but is it true?
There was a 19th century song created in England that claimed the day of the week you were born would predict how you would turn out.
The nursery rhyme, which is called 'Monday's Child', dates back to around 1836, when it was published in 'Traditions of Devonshire' by writer Anna-Eliza Bray.
The nursery rhyme was also published in St. Nicholas Magazine, 1873, and it goes like this:
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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 the child that is born on Sabbath day,
Is bonny and blithe, good and gay.
As a Wednesday baby, I might think my woeful life is spot on here, but is it true for the rest of the world?
Well, a new study has finally given the answer to the long-believed poem, using data from over 2,000 children.
Conducted by researchers from the University of York, they wanted to know whether the poem determined the destinies of the kids.
Well, as it turns out, it’s a load of tosh.
Apparently, those born on Wednesday are not 'full of woe', and the poem is just some ‘harmless fun’.
They analysed data from a study of more than 1,100 families with twins in England and Wales, tracking the siblings from ages five to 18.
The study they looked into included the day of the week they were born and personality traits.
What they discovered was that prosocial behaviour was linked with 'loving and giving’, while a hardworking child could be seen as 'works hard for a living'.
'Fair of face' was based on how attractive the children were at ages five, 10, 12, and 18.
While they found that the poem has no standing when it comes to actually determining how a person lives their life or how they appear, they did say it might have lasting effects on someone’s personality.
For someone who is born on a Monday and has been predicted to be ‘fair of face,’ the team shared that they could go on to have higher self-esteem, which makes them more attractive to others.
A woeful Wednesday child may also read into the poem and believe that their ‘woe’ was fated.
Even parents who know the rhyme might even adopt some of the concepts and bring them forth into real life.
For example, if a kid has been told they will be ‘full of grace’, their parents might enrol them on ballet classes.
According to Professor Sophie von Stumm, senior author, as per the Daily Mail: “In an age where parents are increasingly concerned about the messages children encounter, our findings offer reassurance.
“While many older tales and rhymes might seem out of step with modern values, our research indicates they don't have any long-term influence on children.
“We know these rhymes are rich in alliteration and vocabulary which has been shown to boost language and literacy, so parents should absolutely continue to share them.”
Britt Jones