Interesting Wednesday Facts
- The modern name of Wednesday originates from the Old English version of Wōdnesdæg. ...
- Good Wednesday was the day Jesus Christ was betrayed by one of his disciples, this day is also called Spy Wednesday by American Christians.
- Koreans and Japanese have a name for Wednesday that translate to water day.
Full Answer
What is the mythological origina of Wednesday?
“Wednesday” comes from Old English “Wōdnesdæg.” Thursday, "Thor's day," gets its English name after the hammer-wielding Norse god of thunder, strength and protection. The Roman god Jupiter, as well as being the king of gods, was the god of the sky and thunder.
What is the mythological origin of the word Wednesday?
The Origin of the Word Wednesday: Odin Day The word “Wednesday” comes from the Middle English term, “Wednesdei”, and the old English term, “Wodnesday”. The third day of the week was actually named after an Anglo-Saxon god named Woden, or Odin. On his day, Woden was known to passionately carry the dead off.
How did Wednesday get its name?
Wednesday. The name is derived from Old English Wōdnesdaeg and Middle English Wodnesday, which means "Woden's day". Woden in Modern English, is the head god in English heathenism, Woden was worshipped during the Migration period, until the 7th or 8th century, when Germanic paganism was gradually replaced by Christianity.
What is the origin of the word Wednesday?
There are several holy days within the season of Lent:
- Clean Monday is the first of Lent in Eastern Christianity.
- Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent in Western Christianity, such as the Lutheran Churches, Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, Methodist Churches, Reformed traditions, etc. ...
- Lenten Sundays
Where did the term Wednesday come from?
Wednesday is named for the god Woden, who is paralleled with the Roman god Mercury, probably because both gods shared attributes of eloquence, the ability to travel, and the guardianship of the dead. Thursday is Thunor's day, or, to give the word its Old English form, Thunresdæg “the day of Thunder”.
Is Wednesday from Odin?
In the Nordic countries, the Sun (Sunday) and the Moon (Monday) also became the first two days of the week, and the Roman gods became four of the Nordic gods with similarities: Mars became Tyr (Tuesday), Mercury became Odin (Wednesday), Jupiter became Thor (Thursday) and Venus became Frigg (Friday).
When did Wednesday come from?
The Latin name dates to the late 2nd or early 3rd century. It is a calque of Greek ἡμέρα Ἕρμου (heméra Hérmou), a term first attested, together with the system of naming the seven weekdays after the seven classical planets, in the Anthologiarum by Vettius Valens (c. AD 170).
What does Wednesday mean in Old English?
It comes from the Middle English Wednesdai, from the Old English Wōdnesdæg, meaning “Woden's day.” This is a translation of (or is modeled on) the Latin term Mercuriī diēs, meaning “Mercury's day.” In Old English, the Roman god Mercury was subbed out in favor of Woden, the chief god of Anglo-Saxon mythology (equivalent ...
Who invented the 7 day week?
For centuries the Romans used a period of eight days in civil practice, but in 321 CE Emperor Constantine established the seven-day week in the Roman calendar and designated Sunday as the first day of the week.
Is Thursday named after Thor?
The name is derived from Old English þunresdæg and Middle English Thuresday (with loss of -n-, first in northern dialects, from influence of Old Norse Þórsdagr) meaning "Thor's Day". It was named after the Norse god of Thunder, Thor.
What religion has Wednesday as?
Quakers traditionally refer to Wednesday as "Fourth Day", eschewing the pagan origin of the name "Wednesday". Most eastern languages also use a name with this meaning, for much the same reason.
Where did the 7 day week come from?
The BabyloniansThe Babylonians, who lived in modern-day Iraq, were astute observers and interpreters of the heavens, and it is largely thanks to them that our weeks are seven days long. The reason they adopted the number seven was that they observed seven celestial bodies — the Sun, the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.
Why is Wednesday special?
Wednesday is named after Woden, the most important God in the German Pantheon, and is often associated with the Nose God Odin. The name is derived from the Old English word Wōdnesdæg and the Middle English word Wednesdei, meaning 'day of Woden', reflecting the pre-Christian religion practiced by the Anglo-Saxons.
Where did the names for the days of the week come from?
The days were named after the planets of Hellenistic astrology, in the order: Sun, Moon, Mars (Ares), Mercury (Hermes), Jupiter (Zeus), Venus (Aphrodite) and Saturn (Cronos). The seven-day week spread throughout the Roman Empire in Late Antiquity.
How did Friday get its name?
The name Friday comes from the Old English frīġedæġ, meaning the "day of Frig", a result of an old convention associating the Germanic goddess Frigg with the Roman goddess Venus, with whom the day is associated in many different cultures.
Why do we call Tuesday Tuesday?
Tuesday comes from the Old English tīwesdæg, meaning “Tiu's day.” Tiu was a Germanic god of the sky and war. His equivalent in Norse mythology is Tyr. The names of the days of the week were modeled after the Latin names. The Latin days of the week were named after planets, which were named after gods.
What is the German word for Wednesday?
(Similarly, the Yiddish word for Wednesday is מיטוואך ( mitvokh ), meaning and sounding a lot like the German word it came from.)
What is the astrological sign of Wednesday?
Astrology. The astrological sign of the planet Mercury, ☿, represents Wednesday— Dies Mercurii to the Romans, it had similar names in Latin-derived languages, such as the Italian mercoledì ( dì means "day"), the French mercredi, and the Spanish miércoles.
What is the Jewish calendar Wednesday?
In countries which use the Sunday-first convention and in the Jewish Hebrew calendar Wednesday is defined as the fourth day of the week. In English, the name is derived from Old English Wōdnesdæg and Middle English Wednesdei, "day of Woden ", reflecting the religion practised by the Anglo-Saxons, the English equivalent to the Norse god Odin.
What is the Orthodox celebration of Wednesday?
For the Orthodox, Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the year commemorate the betrayal of Jesus (Wednesday) and the Crucifixion of Christ (Friday). There are hymns in the Octoekhos which reflect this liturgically. These include special Theotokia ( hymns to the Mother of God) called Stavrotheotokia ("Cross-Theotokia").
What does "fasting" mean in Irish?
In Irish and Scottish Gaelic, the name for Wednesday also refers to fasting, as it is Dé Céadaoin in Irish Gaelic and Di-Ciadain in Scottish Gaelic, which comes from chéad, "first" and aoine, "fasting" which means "first day of fasting".
What does Wednesday mean in Japanese?
In Japanese, the word for Wednesday is 水曜日 (sui youbi), meaning 'water day' and is associated with 水星 (suisei): Mercury (the planet), literally meaning "water star". Similarly, in Korean the word Wednesday is 수요일 (su yo il), also meaning water day. In most of the languages of India, the word for Wednesday is Budhavāra — vāra meaning day ...
What is the name of the middle of the week?
The Finnish name is Keskiviikko ("middle of the week"), as is the Icelandic name: Miðvikudagur, and the Faroese name: Mikudagur ("Mid-week day"). Some dialects of Faroese have Ónsdagur, though, which shares etymology with Wednesday. Danish, Norwegian, Swedish Onsdag, ("Ons-dag" = Oden's/Odin's dag/day). In Japanese, the word for Wednesday is 水曜日 ...
Examples of Wednesday in a Sentence
I had lunch with her last Wednesday. I'll be seeing her again next Wednesday.
History and Etymology for Wednesday
Middle English, from Old English wōdnesdæg (akin to Old Norse ōthinsdagr Wednesday); akin to Old English Wōden Odin and dæg day
How many years are there on Wednesday?
13. From 1st January of 2001 to 31st December 2100, there are 11 different years starting on a Wednesday. Summarily, the 21st Century has 11 years starting on a Wednesday. 14. The years 2025 and 2026 are some of the years to starting on a Wednesday.
What is the meaning of "good Wednesday"?
2. Good Wednesday was the day Jesus Christ was betrayed by one of his disciples, this day is also called Spy Wednesday by American Christians. 3. Koreans and Japanese have a name for Wednesday that translate to water day. 4.
Why is Wednesday called Hump Day?
In the U.S Wednesday is also called Hump Day because it is the middle of the week, when workers have gotten though the difficult (hump) day of the week.’ . 22. Statistics show that Wednesday is the only day of the week your boss at work, is more likely to accept requests from you or colleagues. 23.
How many Wednesdays are there in a year?
Another special fact about Wednesday is that there typically 52 Wednesdays in a year.
What is the name of the Roman god that died on Wednesday?
Wednesday is also associated with the Roman god of Mercury ( Latin Mercurius), and for this reason the Roman name for Wednesday; dies mercurri has references to the god. 12. The first U.S Navy Ship was launched on a Wednesday. May 10 1787 marked the launch of the Navy Ship the United States. 13.
What is the color of Wednesday?
The color green is the color associated with Wednesday according to the Thai solar calendar. Every other day has it’s own color according to the same Thai solar calendar. 6. Through out recorded history, the only century to have begun on a Wednesday is the 1800 century. 7.
What does the name "Woden" mean?
The Old English version of the name is associated with ‘Woden’ the Germanic name of the Norse god Odin. Who is referred to as the All father and the distributor of talents. So the name Wōdnesdæg, from Old English means day of Woden/Odin. 2.
Why is Wednesday called Wednesday?
Wednesday is named after Woden, the most important God in the German Pantheon, and is often associated with the Nose God Odin. The name is derived from the Old English word Wōdnesdæg and the Middle English word Wednesdei, meaning ‘day of Woden’, reflecting the pre-Christian religion practiced by the Anglo-Saxons.
What does Wednesday mean in Slavic?
In many Slavic languages, Wednesday translates to “the middle.”. Similarly to this, in Estonian, Lithuanian, Latvian, and Mandarin Chinese, the name for Wednesday translate to “third day.”.
What is the astrological sign for Wednesday?
The astrological sign for Wednesday is the same as the astrological sign for the planet Mercury. In American Christianity, both Catholic and Protestant churches schedule studies, prayers or meetings on Wednesday nights.
Why is Wednesday called the fourth day of the week?
Quakers continue to refer to Wednesday as the “Fourth Day” of the week in keeping with the traditional calendar so as to avoid the pagan associations Wednesday holds. According to a survey, bosses are most receptive to requests from their employees on a Wednesday.
What is the name of the day before Easter?
The Wednesday before Easter is known as “Holy Wednesday,” or sometimes “Spy Wednesday,” in reference to Judas Iscariot’s betrayal of Jesus. The first day of Lent in the Western Christian Calendar is known as “Ash Wednesday” and follows “Shrove Tuesday.”.
Why do they call it "Hump Day"?
That’s why they call it “Hump Day” in America because it’s all smooth sailing from there on out until the weekend.
What is the name of the Addams family's daughter?
In the Addams Family films, the daughter is called Wednesday Addams. Creator Charles Addams said he chose this name because of the nursery rhyme Monday’s Child, which says the “Wednesday’s child is full of woe.”.
Where did the seven day week come from?
The seven-day week originates from the calendar of the Babylonians, which in turn is based on a Sumerian calendar dated to 21st-century B.C. Seven days corresponds to the time it takes for a moon to transition between each phase: full, waning half, new and waxing half.
What is Friday named after?
Friday is named after the wife of Odin. Some scholars say her name was Frigg; others say it was Freya; other scholars say Frigg and Freya were two separate goddesses. Whatever her name, she was often associated with Venus, the Roman goddess of love, beauty and fertility. “Friday” comes from Old English “Frīgedæg.”.
What is the Roman day name?
To this day, all Romance languages (most familiarly Spanish, French, and Italian) still bear the mark of Roman day names, the exception being Sunday, which now translates to “Lord’s Day” and Saturday, which translates to "Sabbath.". Day. Planet. Latin. Spanish.
Where did the word "Saturday" come from?
They retained the Roman name instead. The English word “Saturday” comes from the Anglo-Saxon word “Sæturnesdæg,” which translates to “Saturn’s day.”.
Who adopted the seven day week?
By the time the seven-day week was officially adopted by Constantine in A.D. 321, the nundinal cycle had fallen out of use. RECOMMENDED VIDEOS FOR YOU... The Romans named the days of the week after their gods and corresponded to the five known planets plus the sun and moon (which the Romans also considered planets).
When was the 7 day week written?
Jewish tradition also observes a seven-day week. The book of Genesis (and hence the seven-day account of creation) was likely written around 500 B.C. during the Jewish exile to Babylon.
Where did the word "Wednesday" come from?
The word "Wednesday" has adapted over time, too. Its origin lies in Old English's Germanic languages, where it emanated from the word "Wōdnesdæg.".
Where did American English originate?
American English is rooted in ancient European languages. As far back as the fifth century, several related Germanic dialects were introduced to Anglo-Saxon realms in what is now Scotland. As people interacted, languages fused and a dialect known as Old English emerged.
Who does Wednesday Addams owe a debt to?
Wednesday Addams may owe a debt to the Germanic god Wodan. Michael Wheatley/ABC Photo Archives/Getty. Most Americans don't pronounce the first "d" in Wednesday. But there it is, sitting pretty.
Why is Sunday called Sunday?
Sunday uses the Arabic name, which is based on numbering, because a Jewish language was not likely to adapt a name based on "Lord's Day" for Sunday.
What are the days of the week called?
The Southeast Asian tradition also uses the Hindu names of the days of the week. Hindu astrology adopted the concept of days under the regency of a planet under the term vāra, the days of the week being called āditya -, soma -, maṅgala -, budha -, guru-, śukra -, and śani -vāra. śukrá is a name of Venus (regarded as a son of Bhṛgu ); guru is here a title of Bṛhaspati, and hence of Jupiter; budha "Mercury" is regarded as a son of Soma, i.e. the Moon.
What is the week in Chinese?
In Standard Chinese, the week is referred to as the "Stellar Period" ( Chinese: 星期; pinyin: Xīngqī) or "Cycle" ( simplified Chinese: 周; traditional Chinese: 週; pinyin: Zhōu ). The modern Chinese names for the days of the week are based on a simple numerical sequence.
What languages were used in the Romance period?
Romance languages. Except for Modern Portuguese and Mirandese, the Romance languages preserved the Latin names, except for the names of Sunday, which was replaced by [dies] Dominicus (Dominica), i.e. "the Lord's Day ", and of Saturday, which was named for the Sabbath.
What is the 7 day week?
The seven-day week was adopted in early Christianity from the Hebrew calendar, and gradually replaced the Roman nundinal cycle as the new religion spread. Sunday remained the first day of the week, being considered the Lord's Day, while the Jewish sabbath remained the seventh.
Why are the 7th day Sabbaths sanctified?
Seventh-day Sabbaths were sanctified for celebration and rest. After the week was adopted in early Christianity, Sunday remained the first day of the week, but also gradually displaced Saturday as the day of celebration and rest, being considered the Lord's Day .
Why are the seven days of the week called the seven days of the week?
in many languages, the names given to the seven days of the week are derived from the names of the classical planets in Hellenistic astronomy, which were in turn named after contemporary deities, a system introduced by the Roman Empire during Late Antiquity. In some other languages, the days are named after corresponding deities ...
Overview
Wednesday is the day of the week between Tuesday and Thursday. According to international standard ISO 8601, it is the third day of the week. In countries which have Friday as their holiday, Wednesday is the fifth day of the week. In countries which use the Sunday-first convention, and in both the Islamic and Jewish calendars, Wednesday is the fourth day of the week.
Etymology
See Names of the days of the week for more on naming conventions.
The name Wednesday continues Middle English Wednesdei. Old English still had wōdnesdæg, which would be continued as *Wodnesday (but Old Frisian has an attested wednesdei). By the early 13th century, the i-mutated form was introduced unetymologically .
The name is a calque of the Latin dies Mercurii 'day of Mercury', reflecting the fact that the Germa…
Religious observances
The Creation narrative in the Hebrew Bible places the creation of the Sun and Moon on "the fourth day" of the divine workweek.
Quakers traditionally referred to Wednesday as "Fourth Day" to avoid the pagan associations with the name "Wednesday", or in keeping with the practice of treating each day as equally divine.
Cultural usage
In Hindu mythology, Budha is the god of Mercury (planet), mid-week Wednesday, and of Merchants and merchandise. According to the Thai solar calendar, the color given with Wednesday is green.
In the folk rhyme "Wednesday's child is full of woe", reciting the days of the week, Solomon Grundy was 'married on Wednesday.' In Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day, the disagreeable nature of the weather is attributed to it being "Winds-Day" (a play on Wednesday). In Richard Brautigan's In …
Astrology
The astrological sign of the planet Mercury, ☿, represents Wednesday—dies Mercurii to the Romans, it had similar names in Latin-derived languages, such as the Italian mercoledì (dì means 'day'), the French mercredi, and the Spanish miércoles. In English, this became "Woden's Day", since the Roman god Mercury was identified by Woden in Northern Europe and it is especially aligned by the astrological signs of Gemini and Virgo. Wednesday is one of the only three days aside from Neptu…
Named days
• Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent in the Western Christian tradition, occurs forty-six days before Easter (forty, not counting Sundays).
• Holy Wednesday, sometimes called Spy Wednesday in allusion to the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot, is the Wednesday immediately preceding Easter.
• Red Wednesday, the Yezidi festival celebrated in Iraq.
External links
• The dictionary definition of wednesday at Wiktionary
• Media related to Wednesday at Wikimedia Commons
• Quotations related to Wednesday at Wikiquote