NONSENSE: August 2014 Date Combination – ‘Once Every 823 Years’

It is perfectly true that August 2014 has 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays. However, this combination occurs far more often than once every 823 years and is not at all remarkable. The last occurrence was in August 2008 while the next occurrence will take place in August 2025. Moreover, any month that has 31 days has three consecutive days that occur five times in the month. And, the claim that forwarding the message will bring good luck is superstitious nonsense.

According to this message, which is traversing the interwebs at a rate of knots, a once in a lifetime calendar phenomenon will occur in August 2014. The message claims that August will have 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays, a date combination that only comes around once every 823 years.

And, claims the message, sending the information to your friends invokes ‘Silver pockets full’ Chinese Feng Shui, thus ensuring that ‘money will surprise you’ within four days.

However, the claims in the message are utter nonsense. Of course, a quick glance at the nearest calendar will reveal that August 2014 does indeed have 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays. But, this combination is by no means remarkable and it occurs, far more often than once every 823 years.

In fact, the same combination of days will occur again just a few years hence in August 2025. And, the last occurrence of the combination was in August 2008.

Furthermore, there is nothing at all unusual about months that have such combinations of days. In fact, any month that has 31 days will have three consecutive days that occur five times in the month. Such combinations occur each and every year.

Versions of this silly hoax circulate every year and have featured several different months. A 2011 version focused on the month of July. Earlier versions featured October and August 2010.

And, of course, the ‘silver pockets full’ Chinese Feng Shui connection is nothing more than superstitious drivel.