Monday's Child is Fair of Face - English Children's Songs - England - Mama Lisa's World: Children's Songs and Rhymes from Around the World - Intro Image

Notes

See Also Sunday's Child is Full of Grace.

Here's the version from The Little Mother Goose (1912), illustrated by Jessie Willcox Smith:

Monday's bairn is fair of face,
Tuesday's bairn is full of grace,
Wednesday's bairn is full of woe,
Thursday's bairn has far to go,
Friday's bairn is loving and giving,
Saturday's bairn works hard for its living;
But the bairn that is born on the Sabbath day
Is bonny, and blithe, and good and gay.

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Here's another folk rhyme about the day you're born:

Birthdays

Monday for health,
Tuesday for wealth,
Wednesday best day of all,
Thursday for crosses,
Friday for losses,
Saturday no luck at all.
He who's born on the day of rest
In health and fortunes has the best.

Comments

Kirsten calls Monday's Child a "traditional Scottish saying". I can't find any other evidence that the rhyme is originally from Scotland, though the expression "bonny and blithe" is specifically Scottish. According to The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes (1951), edited by Iona and Peter Opie, it was known in England as early as 1838. If anyone knows more about the origins of this rhyme, please email me. Thanks! -Mama Lisa

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Thanks and Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Kirsten Helmersen for sending me this rhyme. Thanks to Lila for the drawing of the girl!

Thanks so much!