February is fast approaching, and recently on Chinese social media, discussions about ‘February 2026 being special’ have been widely circulating, with posts encouraging sharing under the pretense of ‘forward for good fortune.’ However, this statement is a typical ‘share to get luck’ rumor, and its logic doesn’t stand up to scrutiny in terms of calendar science or mathematics.
The related discussions claim that this February has 4 Sundays, 4 Mondays, 4 Tuesdays, 4 Wednesdays, 4 Thursdays, 4 Fridays, and 4 Saturdays. This situation, it’s claimed, only occurs once every 823 years.
The discussions go on to say this is referred to as ‘good fortune,’ encouraging people to share with at least 5 people or 5 groups, promising that good fortune will arrive within four days. This topic has even appeared on short video platforms, with some posters turning the text into audio clips or videos.
Shanghai Observer pointed out that a non-leap year February always has 28 days—exactly four complete weeks—so those 28 days must include four of each day from Monday to Sunday. In other words, there’s no need to wait 823 years; every ordinary year’s February fits the allegedly ‘special’ criteria mentioned online.
Further investigation also discovered that similar versions of this rumor crop up every few years. For example, in 2011, posts claimed that October that year was a ‘special month’ and ‘appears once every 823 years’ because that October had 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays, and 5 Sundays. In 2014, similar claims were made about August of that year, again citing 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays, and 5 Sundays. But with just a bit of calculation, it’s easy to see through these rumors.
The report states that these kinds of rumors actually prey on people’s lack of awareness about numbers, unfamiliarity with calendars, and reluctance to check the facts—even though the situation described is a perfectly common calendar phenomenon. By packaging the ordinary as rare, and luring people with ‘share for good fortune’ inducements—even promoting their own services—the essence of such viral messages is just online marketing.