Monthsary: how to count monthly anniversaries
Short answer: a monthsary is the same calendar date every month after you got together. If you started on March 14, your monthsaries are April 14, May 14, June 14 and so on, until your first anniversary on March 14 next year.
What is a monthsary?
"Monthsary" (month + anniversary) is a monthly anniversary, celebrated by many couples in their first year, especially in the Philippines and across Asia. It is usually something small: a message, a photo or a dinner.
Count by date, not by 30 days
Months have 28 to 31 days, so "every 30 days" drifts away from your real date within a few months. Always use the same day of the month.
If you started on the 29th, 30th or 31st
Some months do not have that date. The usual rule is to use the last day of that month instead, and go back to your original date as soon as the month has it. For a January 31 start:
- 1 month: February 28 (February 29 in a leap year)
- 2 months: March 31
- 3 months: April 30
- 4 months: May 31
Note that each month is counted from the original start date, not from the previous monthsary. Otherwise a single short February would push every later date to the 28th.
After 12 months
Month 12 is your first anniversary. Most couples then switch to yearly anniversaries and keep celebrating day milestones such as Day 500 or Day 1,000 in between.
Doing this with Duodays
Duodays lists your 1 to 11 month anniversaries, every yearly anniversary and every 100 days, all counted from your start date with the month-end rule above. It reminds you a week before, the day before and on the day, and the home screen widget shows your next milestone.
FAQ
Is a monthsary the same as 30 days?
No. A monthsary falls on the same calendar date each month, so the gap is 28 to 31 days depending on the month.
We started on January 31. When is our first monthsary?
February has no 31st, so it moves to the last day of February: February 28, or 29 in a leap year. In March it is back on the 31st.
Do people keep counting after 12 months?
Most couples switch to yearly anniversaries after the first year, and keep day milestones like Day 500 or Day 1,000.