Pastors, deacons, and church workers often need to know on what dates Sundays fall in any given month of the year. We often have to look to a calendar to figure it out. Here’s a formula, an algorithm that will help you know when the Sundays are in any given month of the year.
This method was developed by a mathematician named John Conway (not John Connor, you Terminator fans). He called it the Doomsday Rule. I find that a little bit spooky and confusing, so I call it Magic Date.
Magic Date is so simple you’ll be able to memorize it in the next few minutes. Any given year, there are 12 magic dates that always fall on a given day of the week. In 2023, these dates fall on Tuesdays.
Here are the dates.
The even numbered months, with the exception of February, are quite simple. Magic day falls on 4/4, 6/6, 8/8, 10/10, 12/12. In February, the Magic date is always the last day of the month, so the 28th most years, and the 29th on leap years.
For odd numbered months, let’s start with the last four. Just remember that you work from 9 to 5, or 7 to 11. The magic dates are 9/5, 5/9, 7/11, and 11/7. that only leaves January and March. In March, the magic date is always pi day: 3/14. That leaves January: 1/3, unless it’s a leap year, and then it’s 1/4. January and February are the only months that the magic date shifts during leap years.
Take a couple minutes and commit these dates to memory.
Now, say you want to know on what dates Sundays fall in November 2023. You know the magic date is 11/7 and that magic dates fall on Tuesdays in 2023. So, 11/7 is a Tuesday. This means, backing up two days, 11/5 is a Sunday. The Sundays in November 2023 are November 5, 12, 19, and 26. All Saints Sunday falls on November 5, and Christ the King/Reign of Christ Sunday falls on November 26.
How about Sundays in Advent this year? We know the magic date in December is 12/12, so 12/10 is a Sunday. The Sundays in Advent are December 3, 10, 17, and 24. Yes, Christmas Eve falls on a Sunday this year.
Usually the magic dates shift to the next day of the week the following year, but 2024 is going to be a leap year, so the magic dates will shift from Tuesdays in 2023 to Thursdays in 2024. Then in 2025. Those dates will fall on Fridays, and in 2026 they will fall on Saturdays.
For pastors, this helps knowing where the Sundays fall, but obviously, this will help you know what day of the week any day it is. will be able to tell anyone on what day of the week any date falls in any year, past, present, or future, within about 10 seconds. This is quite a trick! To learn that formula watch this video.
