Home   Calendar   Holidays   According to Hoyle Day

Aug29 Fun Holiday – According to Hoyle Day

On August 29, honor expertise, authority, and the rules because it is According to Hoyle Day. Named after the English language phrase, according to Hoyle, the unofficial holiday celebrates the life and times of Englishman Edmond Hoyle, who died on this day in 1769.

Celebrate According to Hoyle Day with a game of Bridge.

©iStockphoto.com/monkeybusinessimages

A lawyer by trade, Edmond Hoyle is best known for publishing books detailing the rules and regulations of many popular card and board games of his time, including chess and backgammon. He is also known for writing an authoritative pamphlet on the card game of Whist.

Game of Skills

Whist is a trick card game played by two teams of two players each. The card game evolved from a previous game called Ruff and Honors and is the predecessor of Bridge. Popular in the 18th and the 19th century, the game required mathematical and logical skills.

Appeal to Authority

The phrase according to Hoyle came from the authoritative books Hoyle wrote on the rules and regulations of games. When people played these games and made a play that was questioned, they could invoke Hoyle's rules by saying “according to Hoyle...”. Today, the phrase is used generally to suggest expertise or the highest authority on a subject matter.

How to Celebrate?

  • Play a game of Whist by following Hoyle's rules. Don't know how? Today is a good excuse to learn!
  • Are you an expert on a subject? Why not spend the day jotting your thought about the subject?

Did You Know…

…the word Whist comes from whisk, from whisking or moving the cards during the game?

According to Hoyle Day Observances

Fun Holiday: According to Hoyle Day Observances
YearWeekdayDateName
2024Thu29 AugAccording to Hoyle Day
2025Fri29 AugAccording to Hoyle Day
2026Sat29 AugAccording to Hoyle Day
2027Sun29 AugAccording to Hoyle Day
2028Tue29 AugAccording to Hoyle Day
2029Wed29 AugAccording to Hoyle Day
2030Thu29 AugAccording to Hoyle Day
2031Fri29 AugAccording to Hoyle Day
2032Sun29 AugAccording to Hoyle Day
2033Mon29 AugAccording to Hoyle Day

See all Fun Holidays

Other Fun Holidays around 29 August

28 Aug

Bow Tie Day

Celebrate this sartorial holiday by donning your snazziest bow tie all day long.

30 Aug

Frankenstein Day

Honor English author Mary Shelley on her birth anniversary and her fearsome creation, Frankenstein.

31 Aug

Eat Outside Day

Commune with nature by enjoying a meal in the outdoors.