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Left-Handers Day: Surprising Facts About Being Left-Handed

Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

International Left-Handers Day is August 13, a day celebrating the 10 to 12 percent of people worldwide who favor their left hand. Discover surprising left-handed facts, history, and folklore—from old superstitions to the science behind handedness.

Years ago, some teachers insisted that all students, including left-handers, learn to write with their right hand. Teachers thought that students would have an easier time if they were not “different” from right-handed writers. Some thought that using the left hand was just a bad habit. Some even slapped or punished left-handed kids who had trouble!

left-hander facts

Now we know that everyone should use whichever hand is most comfortable. Today, 10 to 12 percent of the world’s population is left-handed. It’s not surprising that lefties sometimes feel “left out.” Plenty of superstitions and odd terms regarding left-handedness exist.

Left-Hander Superstitions and Terms

  • Sinistrophobia is the fear of left-handedness or things on the left side.
  • Many people believe that the devil is left-handed.
  • The Latin word for left, sinister, also means unlucky, evil, and suspicious.
  • The French word for left, gauche, also means clumsy.
  • A left-handed compliment is an insult.
  • It is believed that all polar bears are left-handed.
  • A left-handed baseball pitcher is called a southpaw. (And no, there’s no such thing as a northpaw!)

Why Are Some People Left-handed and Others Right-handed?

Scientists aren’t sure what causes left-handedness. Genetics plays a role, but it’s not the whole story. For example, identical twins have the same DNA, but it is common for one twin to be right-handed and the other to be left-handed.

Many left-handers have a symmetrical brain, meaning that the left and right portions of their brain are shaped alike. Right-handers often have an asymmetrical brain: The left cerebral hemisphere is often larger than the right cerebral hemisphere.

pinky promise left hand facts

No matter the shape of your brain or the hand you favor, here’s what we have—um—left:

Left-handed Facts and Trivia

The Left Test

There’s no sure way to measure “handedness.” One of the most widely used tests is called the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory (developed in Edinburgh, Scotland, in the 1970s). This test asks participants which hand they most often use for a series of activities, including writing, eating, drawing, throwing, cutting with scissors, brushing teeth, and unscrewing a lid.

Left-handed Burgers? Baloney!

A full-page ad in USA Today in 1998 claimed that Burger King had developed the “left-handed Whopper.” The burger had the same fixings, but they were turned 180 degrees so that they wouldn’t drip out on left-handed customers. It was a joke! The ad ran on April 1 (April Fools’ Day).

Lefties Day

August 13 is International Left-Handers Day! The tradition was started by the Left-Handers Club, a group in the United Kingdom. Club members around the world give interviews and play left-handed games.

left handed facts folklore

Left-hander Heaven?

Lefties might want to travel to Left Hand, West Virginia, where there is a church, a school, and a post office. The village was so named because it sits on the left-hand fork of the Big Sandy River, not because of the way its citizens write.

Left-handed Reward

A few left-handers attending Juniata College in Pennsylvania have benefited from a scholarship just for left-handers established in 1979 by Mary and Frederick Beckley, two left-handers who met when they attended tennis class together in 1919.

If you’re right-handed, try writing with your left. If you’re left-handed, try brushing your teeth with your right. You’re likely to find these activities surprisingly difficult.

So, tell us below if you are a lefty or righty and what you’ve observed about this phenomenon called handedness!

Amusements

About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann is the Executive Digital Editor of Almanac.com, the digital home of The Old Farmer’s Almanac. She leads digital editorial strategy and publishing across a wide range of Almanac sub...

Read more from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<span>Debra Isenberger</span> Tue, 08/13/2019 - 09:13
I am right handed. My daughter is left handed (So was her father). My grandson is ambidextrous (And has Asperger’s). How does genetics play into this?
<span>Carol Ann</span> Tue, 08/13/2019 - 08:55
I am a lefty. I can use both hands to write forward, backward, upside down and sideways and both at the same time. Of course, the left is a little better. I use both hands equally but the hands do have a preference depending on the task..so ambidextrous... Growing up I only knew of 3-4 people who were lefties. Later when I worked for the county social services office for 20 years I noticed that there is a very large number of people I came across (both customers and co-workers) that are left-handed so I want to disagree that it is only 10%. I have also noticed that many celebrities are lefties.....check it out.
<span>Sandra Carmena</span> Tue, 08/13/2019 - 08:54
Out of us 6 siblings, I am the only one in my family that is left handed. My parents were right handed too. I am 57 and recall as a kindergartener back in 1968 and elementary student teachers pulling the pencil out of my left hand and telling me to use my right hand. I can print with both left and right hand. I peel vegetables left handed. I am ambidextrous in batting a ball, and was very athletic, was and am very artistic, a quick learner and did well in sciences. I am a nurse and seem to have a deep insight to people. I am very patient and very flexible tend to adapt to most situations quickly, such a moving, changing jobs, etc. I enjoy life and am very upbeat and positive regardless to others opinions. My 3 children are right handed and I have one niece that is left handed out of 13 nieces and nephews, so left handedness is very unique even in my family. People tried to change me and make me right handed, but I am left handed- and I am perfect just the way I am.
<span>Tim Moynihan</span> Tue, 08/13/2019 - 08:51
My brother and I are pretty much pure lefties. I learned how to shoot a long gun right handed. It seemed to work better for me. My sister is mainly a lefty, except that she throws a ball and would bat right handed. I had a first grade teacher, who was old when I was in first grade, blame any difficulties I was having with my studies on my being left handed. It caused a conversation between my parents and that teacher. I'm still left handed, so guess who won the debate.
<span>Kathi Kaufmann</span> Tue, 08/13/2019 - 08:40
my sister and I are left-handed. we married left-handed men. my sister had one child, a right-handed daughter. I had one child, a left-handed son. I am wondering if left-handedness if more often associated with males.
<span>Roddy Camper Jr</span> Mon, 07/01/2019 - 19:56
I have been an advocate for left handers for as long as I can remember thanks to my dad always making fun of me for not being able to start the lawn mower on the first pull. I have since started a blog supporting the kids and their parents so at least they will have a fighting chance. I am also finishing up my first kids book, Lefty Leon Goes to School. It's a day in the life of Leon as his handedness creates numerous situations that us lefties can relate too! I have also learned that lefties have a double bell curve when it comes to problem solving. When the children learn how to overcome the challenges of the right handed products of our world, they move up into the upper bell curve. The key is to make sure they learn this before puberty, as this sets their problem solving techniques in deep. After puberty, the young adult then migrates over to Bandura's theory of Behavioral Learning. Thus, the reason for my blog and kids book, trying to help the youngsters before the half give up. The world needs more lefties and I plan to make it my mission to help!
<span>Mary Davis</span> Mon, 10/15/2018 - 18:51
Both my sister and I are the only left-handed family members on both side of the family. Ironically, my sister and I have a beautiful handwriting (cursive) but my sister torque’s her hand to write above the line, whereas, I hold my pen/pencil below the line (like right-handed persons) that is what I find most unusual.
<span>Deborah Heard</span> Sat, 09/15/2018 - 07:53
I write, eat, and play guitar left-handed. Probably everything except sports. Sports are all right handed, but I broke my left arm horribly when I was 9. No one remembers if I changed after the injury. Funny thing: I bowl righty, but my feet land like a lefty. No one in my family at all, as far back as we know has ever been a lefty except me. I am so thankful to my mom. She fought teachers like a wildcat to make them leave me alone in my left handedness. Moms: Don't let teachers make your lefty hold their pencils and papers to make their letters slant to the right. It is what makes most lefties curl their hands all over the place to write. It makes their handwriting illegible.
<span>Staci</span> Mon, 08/13/2018 - 23:44
I'm a true lefty...write, brush teeth, throw, swing bat, bowl, drive, I'm all lefty! Of course, though, one of the most frustrating things is always having to use scissors and a can opener right handed! Not to mention coffee mugs; if you want to see the picture or saying, you have to pick it up with your right hand. But hey, don't sweat the small stuff!
<span>D.a. Law</span> Mon, 08/13/2018 - 21:39
I’m a lefty but have learned to do things right handed.. Draw and write lefty play pool lefty but bat and throw righty Shoot a handgun righty...Shoot a rifle lefty .. when young I was ambidextrous ...My father was a lefty but being born in 1902 was forced to write right handed .. when I write with my right hand our handwriting is identical..