1 Jun
2010
1 Jun
'10
11:21 a.m.
On May 31, 2010, at 11:01 AM, Tony Duell wrote:
>> There was a system from the ancient world
using the segments of the
>> fingers to count with the thumb as a marker.
>
> My parents used a counting-on-the-knuckles scheme for remembering the
> days in each month. I don't recall the details, however.
(hmm...I didn't get that post, but saw Tony's reference to it)
My dad taught me that method around 1960 or so.
Using your right first finger as a pointer, point to the first knuckle (closest to palm)
on your first finger of your left hand ... we'll be counting to the left (towards the
little finger).
Touch the knuckle, and say "January". Touch the valley between the first
and second finger, ad say "February". Touch the knuckle of the second finger,
ad say "March". When you hit the knuckle of the little finger, it's July.
Since
you've run out of fingers, go back to the first finger, touch the knuckle
and say "August". Continue until you run out of months. The knuckles are
31 days, the valleys are 30 (except Feb, of course).
Stan