Published October 6, 2025
Right. Now I’m getting to the boring stuff. For some, the scary stuff. Math.
Newspapers and websites everywhere struggle with “anniversary” and “annual.” Let’s say an event started in November 2015, was held in November each year since, and will be again next month. Is that the 10th annual Raking of the Leaves to Make Mom Happy? The 10th anniversary? Let’s count.
2015: first
2016: second
2017: third
2018: fourth
2019: fifth
2020: sixth
2021: seventh
2022: eighth
2023: ninth
2024: 10th
2025: 11th
Yes, if it begins in 2015 and happens once a year, in 2025 it’s the 11th time it’s happened. People see 2015 and 2025 and think, “Oh, 10 years,” but they’re not thinking it through.
So are you saying it’s the 11th anniversary, Carly? Well, let’s see:
2015: the inaugural event
2016: the first anniversary of it
2017: second anniversary
2018: third anniversary
2019: fourth anniversary
2020: fifth anniversary
2021: sixth anniversary
2022: seventh anniversary
2023: eighth anniversary
2024: ninth anniversary
2025: 10th anniversary
No. They are not the same. They’re not synonymous.
Counting is a good idea
The same holds true for 20th, 25th, 30th, and so on. Just add the right number of years to the above to check the math. When in doubt, count.
I’ve written and edited stories about major events that the organizers got wrong. At some point over the years, their count got off track. And they printed programs and posters and shirts and things with “65th annual” when it should have said “66th annual.”
One time, an organization was two years off in the counting. The error was on the cover of the program they sold at entrances.
You can do the research or check with them, but don’t be surprised if a) they say, “It’s too late for us to reprint everything,” or b) the executive editor tells you, “Maybe it’s wrong, but we’re going to use their count.” Even if you can prove through your research that they’ve erred.
Planning is important
If you work where you deal with this sort of thing often, consider making this a part of the planning, and as early as possible. There are few things worse than having six or seven teams working on a project and then finding out when it’s too late that some of them wrote “10th annual” and some put “10th anniversary.”
This popped up again on my radar when it was unclear in some reports whether it was the 100th season of LSU football in Tiger Stadium or the 100th anniversary. Having everyone get on the same page saves a lot of awkwardness and embarrassment.
Sending love. Protect your peace.
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Bonus content
Watching the Tigers-Mariners game last night, I heard the announcer say, after Detroit’s eighth-inning two-RBI double, “And this game is tied!”
I guess he didn’t get the memo that a game can’t be tied, only a score can be tied.
(Relax. It’s fine. There’s nothing wrong with what he said. I don’t know where these “rules” come from. A game can be tied.)