“Digits by date” is the simple idea that the numerals you see shape how you read a date. Around the world, holidays and “On This Day” listings appear in many scripts and numeral systems, and the same date can look surprisingly different. Understanding these differences helps you scan calendars faster, avoid day–month mix-ups, and share events clearly across languages.

Why numeral systems matter for holiday calendars and On This Day entries

Holiday calendars rely on the reader instantly parsing numbers. But numbers aren’t universal in appearance. While many interfaces use Western Arabic numerals (0–9), huge portions of the world publish dates with Eastern Arabic‑Indic (٠١٢٣٤٥٦٧٨٩), Devanagari (०१२३४५६७८९), Thai (๐๑๒๓๔๕๖๗๘๙), Burmese (၀၁၂၃၄၅၆၇၈၉), Khmer (០១២៣៤៥៦៧៨៩), Bengali (০১২৩৪৫৬৭৮৯), Chinese numerals (〇一二三四五六七八九), and others. If you browse a global events feed or search for “On This Day,” you’ll often see dates rendered in the local digits and order (day–month–year, month–day–year, or year–month–day), sometimes in entirely different calendar systems (Hijri, Buddhist Era, Hebrew, or Chinese lunar-solar).

In other words, your ability to quickly recognize numerals and date order is the difference between “May 1” and “January 5.”

At a glance: common numeral systems you’ll see in dates

These are the digit shapes most often encountered in calendars and event listings:

• Western Arabic (0–9): 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
• Eastern Arabic‑Indic (Arabic-script locales, e.g., Egypt): ٠ ١ ٢ ٣ ٤ ٥ ٦ ٧ ٨ ٩
• Persian/Urdu (Extended Arabic‑Indic): ۰ ۱ ۲ ۳ ۴ ۵ ۶ ۷ ۸ ۹
• Devanagari (Hindi, Marathi, Nepali): ० १ २ ३ ४ ५ ६ ७ ८ ९
• Bengali: ০ ১ ২ ৩ ৪ ৫ ৬ ৭ ৮ ৯
• Gurmukhi (Punjabi): ੦ ੧ ੨ ੩ ੪ ੫ ੬ ੭ ੮ ੯
• Gujarati: ૦ ૧ ૨ ૩ ૪ ૫ ૬ ૭ ૮ ૯
• Thai: ๐ ๑ ๒ ๓ ๔ ๕ ๖ ๗ ๘ ๙
• Lao: ໐ ໑ ໒ ໓ ໔ ໕ ໖ ໗ ໘ ໙
• Khmer: ០ ១ ២ ៣ ៤ ៥ ៦ ៧ ៨ ៩
• Burmese (Myanmar): ၀ ၁ ၂ ၃ ၄ ၅ ၆ ၇ ၈ ၉
• Tamil: ௦ ௧ ௨ ௩ ௪ ௫ ௬ ௭ ௮ ௯
• Chinese numerals: 〇 一 二 三 四 五 六 七 八 九

Note: Eastern Arabic‑Indic vs Persian digits look similar but differ in 4, 5, 6: Arabic‑Indic ٤ ٥ ٦ vs Persian ۴ ۵ ۶.

Date order conventions to remember

• DMY (day–month–year): Used by most of the world (e.g., 01/05/2025 = 1 May 2025).
• MDY (month–day–year): Common in the United States (e.g., 01/05/2025 = January 5, 2025).
• YMD (year–month–day): ISO 8601, widely used in East Asia and tech systems (e.g., 2025-05-01).

Calendars often combine local numerals with local order. The same string “01/05/2025” can therefore be read as January 5 or May 1, depending on locale. When digits change script, clarity improves for the local reader but can become harder for others:

• DMY with Eastern Arabic‑Indic: ٠١/٠٥/٢٠٢٥ (likely 1 May 2025)
• DMY with Devanagari: ०१/०५/२०२५
• YMD in Chinese contexts: 2025年05月01日 or 2025-05-01
• Thai Solar calendar (Buddhist Era), DMY: ๐๑/๐๕/๒๕๖๘ (BE 2568 = 2025 CE)

Calendars behind the digits: not just the script

Numeral systems are the surface; different calendars are the engine under the hood. Holiday listings may be in Gregorian dates but also in alternative systems:

• Islamic (Hijri): A lunar calendar. Digits in Arabic‑script locales are often Eastern Arabic‑Indic. Example: ١٠ رمضان ١٤٤٦. Many sites show both Hijri and Gregorian dates side by side.
• Buddhist Era (Thai Solar): Gregorian months, but year ≈ Gregorian + 543. Example: 5 May 2568 BE is 5 May 2025 CE.
• Hebrew calendar: Lunisolar; dates sometimes written with Hebrew letters as numerals for the day/month (e.g., ט״ו בשבט), while many modern sites still display Arabic digits for Gregorian equivalents.
• Indian national/regional calendars: Vikram Samvat, Shaka, and Bikram Sambat appear in some listings, often with Devanagari or regional digits. Example (Nepali Bikram Sambat): १ बैशाख २०८२ (1 Baisakh 2082 ≈ mid‑April 2025).
• Chinese lunisolar calendar: Festivals like Lunar New Year are dated by lunar months and days, often written with Chinese numerals and month/day markers (e.g., 正月初一 for the first day of the first lunar month).

Practical takeaway: the digit script tells you how to read numbers, but you also need to confirm the calendar system and the date order. Year offsets (Thai BE, Nepali BS) can be large, and lunar festivals map to different Gregorian dates each year.

Recognizing numerals at a glance: visual cues

• Eastern Arabic‑Indic: Zero is a small circle ٠; ٢ (2) has two dots; ٣ (3) looks like three steps; ٥ (5) looks like a small loop; ٧ (7) is a simple V‑shape.
• Persian: ۰ (0) is oval; look for ۴ (4) and ۶ (6) distinctive from Arabic‑Indic ٤ and ٦.
• Devanagari: ० is a small circle; ४ (4) has an open top; ५ (5) looks like a stylized S; ७ (7) is angular and short.
• Thai: ๐ (0) is oval; ๑ (1) has a trailing hook; ๒ (2) is a sweeping curve; ๘ (8) has looping shapes; ๙ (9) curls inward.
• Burmese: Digits are round; ၀ (0) is more oval than Thai ๐; ၃ (3) resembles a double‑loop swirl.
• Khmer: Tall, curly digits; ៤ (4) looks like a tall loop; ៧ (7) has a distinctive top hook.
• Chinese numerals: Often used with 年 (year), 月 (month), 日 (day). Example: 二〇二五年一月五日 (YMD). The zero is 〇.

Examples: the same date across scripts

Consider “1 May 2025.” Here are common renderings you might see:

• Western Arabic (DMY): 01/05/2025 or 1 May 2025
• Eastern Arabic‑Indic (DMY): ٠١/٠٥/٢٠٢٥
• Devanagari (DMY): ०१/०५/२०२५
• Thai Solar (DMY): ๐๑/๐๕/๒๕๖๘ (year offset)
• Chinese (YMD): 2025年05月01日 or 二〇二五年五月一日
• Hebrew (Gregorian DMY): 01.05.2025 or 1.5.2025; Jewish calendar equivalent may differ.

For “January 5, 2025” in MDY locales, you’d see 01/05/2025 in Western Arabic digits; other scripts follow suit with their digit shapes but often keep local order (e.g., DMY outside the U.S.).

Converting dates between scripts and calendars safely

Step‑by‑step approach

• 1) Identify the calendar system. Is it Gregorian, Hijri, Buddhist Era, Hebrew, or another lunisolar system? Look for clues like the year length (e.g., 2568 indicates Thai BE) or words like رمضان, BE, BS, or 月/日.
• 2) Identify the date order. DMY, MDY, or YMD markers (dots, slashes, words like 年/月/日) hint at order. In Chinese, 年 follows the year, 月 follows the month, 日 the day.
• 3) Normalize numerals to Western digits. Map each digit: ٠→0, ١→1, ٢→2, etc. For Chinese numerals, convert 一→1, 二→2, 三→3, 四→4, 五→5, 六→6, 七→7, 八→8, 九→9, 〇/零→0 (and十 for 10 when present in spelled‑out dates).
• 4) Validate ranges. Months 1–12; days 1–28/29/30/31. If you see “13” as a month, you may be looking at a different calendar (e.g., leap months in lunisolar calendars) or a misread order.
• 5) Convert the calendar if needed. For BE→CE, subtract 543. For Nepali Bikram Sambat, subtract roughly 56–57 years depending on month (use a reliable converter). For Hijri↔Gregorian, use a conversion algorithm or trusted source because lunar months shift annually.
• 6) Re‑render in the target script and order. After confirming the correct day and month, map digits back into the desired numeral system and format (e.g., YMD as 2025‑05‑01 or 二〇二五年五月一日).
• 7) Preserve clarity. When sharing across languages, include an ISO 8601 version (YYYY‑MM‑DD) alongside the localized date to prevent confusion.

Common pitfalls

• Day–month swap: 01/05 can be Jan 5 or 1 May. Confirm locale and context.
• Year offsets: Thai BE 2568 ≠ 2568 CE; Nepali BS years look larger than Gregorian.
• Mixed numerals: Content can mix scripts (e.g., Arabic month name with Western digits). Focus on context, not just digits.
• Lunar dates: A holiday in Hijri or Chinese lunar terms won’t map 1:1 to Gregorian each year. Check a reliable converter.
• Zero‑padding: 05 vs 5. Both appear; don’t let missing zeros mislead you.

Practical cheat sheet: digit mapping for fast scanning

Eastern Arabic‑Indic → Western

• ٠ ١ ٢ ٣ ٤ ٥ ٦ ٧ ٨ ٩ → 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Persian → Western

• ۰ ۱ ۲ ۳ ۴ ۵ ۶ ۷ ۸ ۹ → 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Devanagari → Western

• ० १ २ ३ ४ ५ ६ ७ ८ ९ → 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Thai → Western

• ๐ ๑ ๒ ๓ ๔ ๕ ๖ ๗ ๘ ๙ → 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Burmese → Western

• ၀ ၁ ၂ ၃ ၄ ၅ ၆ ၇ ၈ ၉ → 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Khmer → Western

• ០ ១ ២ ៣ ៤ ៥ ៦ ៧ ៨ ៩ → 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Chinese numerals → Western

• 〇 一 二 三 四 五 六 七 八 九 → 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
• 十 = 10; 十一 = 11; 二十 = 20; 二十五 = 25; format often includes 年(月)(日).

Sharing events across languages: best practices

• Show two forms: Include ISO 8601 (YYYY‑MM‑DD with Western digits) and a localized date with local digits and order. Example: “2025‑05‑01 (٠١/٠٥/٢٠٢٥).”
• Spell the month: Using a month name reduces confusion. Example: “1 May 2025” vs “01/05/2025.”
• Include the calendar: Add labels like “BE,” “Hijri,” “BS,” or “Gregorian.” Example: “5 May 2568 BE (2025 CE).”
• Add weekday context: “Thursday, 1 May 2025” helps readers sanity‑check conversions.
• Use locale‑aware tools: Rely on Unicode CLDR/ICU, modern date libraries, or reputable calendar sites when converting.

Tools and Unicode tips

• Unicode numerals: All these digits are distinct code points. Copy‑pasting maintains their identity across platforms that support the script.
• Localization (l10n) data: The Unicode CLDR defines default date formats and numerals for hundreds of locales. Libraries like ICU, Moment (with locale packs), Day.js, Luxon, and built‑in Intl APIs can render dates in local digits.
• Regular expressions and parsing: For robust parsing, normalize numerals first, then interpret date order. Always validate date ranges and detect calendar keywords.
• Time zones: Holidays are date‑bound to local time; when sharing across zones, include the location or time zone to avoid off‑by‑one‑day errors near midnight UTC.

Mini practice: decode a holiday list

Imagine this feed:

• ٠١/٠٥/٢٠٢٥ — عيد العمال
• ०१/०५/२०२५ — महाराष्ट्र दिवस
• 2025年02月10日 — 春节
• ๐๕/๐๕/๒๕๖๘ — วันฉัตรมงคล
• 1.5.2025 — Tag der Arbeit

Decoding:

• ٠١/٠٥/٢٠٢٥ → 01/05/2025 (Arabic‑Indic, likely DMY) → 1 May 2025 (Labour Day).
• ०१/०५/२०२५ → 01/05/2025 (Devanagari, DMY) → 1 May 2025 (Maharashtra Day is May 1).
• 2025年02月10日 → YMD with 年/月/日 markers → 2025‑02‑10 (Lunar New Year 2025 in China).
• ๐๕/๐๕/๒๕๖๘ → 05/05/2568 BE → Convert year: 2568 − 543 = 2025 → 5 May 2025 (Coronation Day in Thailand).
• 1.5.2025 → DMY (Germany) → 1 May 2025 (Labor Day).

You didn’t need to read every language—just recognize the digits, markers, and calendar context.

Quick answers to likely questions

How can I tell if a date is DMY, MDY, or YMD?

Check locale and separators. Dots are common in DMY (e.g., Germany). Chinese adds 年/月/日 markers, which force YMD. If the source is American English, assume MDY; if European or most of the world, assume DMY. When in doubt, look for month names or include an ISO version.

What’s the safest format for sharing dates globally?

Use ISO 8601 with Western digits (YYYY‑MM‑DD) for clarity, plus a localized rendering for the audience. Example: “2025‑05‑01 (1 May 2025).”

Why do Thai dates have a much larger year number?

Thailand uses the Buddhist Era (BE), which is Gregorian year + 543. So 2025 CE is 2568 BE. Months and days align with the Gregorian calendar; the year is offset.

Do Chinese dates always use Chinese numerals?

No. Mainland Chinese interfaces often show Western digits in YMD order (e.g., 2025‑05‑01) with 年/月/日 markers, but you’ll also see fully written Chinese numerals in formal or traditional contexts (e.g., 二〇二五年五月一日).

Are Hijri dates predictable year to year?

Not on the Gregorian calendar. Hijri is lunar, so dates shift about 10–11 days earlier each Gregorian year. Always consult a trustworthy conversion or the official local announcement for religious observances.

What if a date mixes scripts, like Arabic month names with Western digits?

That’s common. Focus on the numerals to extract day/month/year, then use the language context to determine date order. Mixed-script formatting does not change the numeric values.

How can I quickly learn to recognize unfamiliar digits?

Make a small personal key for 0–9 in the target script and practice with real calendar snippets. Pay attention to distinctive shapes (e.g., Thai ๑, Arabic‑Indic ٧, Devanagari ५). After a few exposures, your brain starts matching them automatically.