How Each Day of the Week Got Its Name

The names of the days of the week have not always been what they are today. During the time of the Babylonians, days of the week were the same as the seven celestial bodies: sun, moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. The naming system that we use today comes from the Babylonian, Anglo-Saxon, and Norse mythologies for those seven celestial bodies. There are seven days in a week because that's about how long each phase of the moon lasts.

Days of the week have changed over time. The days of the week were once numbered instead of being named. Also, there used to be eight days of the week. In A.D. 321, the Roman emperor Constantine the Great made the seven-day week part of the Julian calendar that exists today.

It is no surprise, Sunday is named for the sun. In the United States and in some other countries, Sunday is considered to be the first day of the week. In some countries, Sunday is considered to be the last day of the week.

Holidays and celebrations that are always on Sunday include Easter, Mother's Day, and Father's Day.

The first day of the work week got its name from the moon, the object we see in the night sky. Whenever a federal holiday falls on the weekend, companies give their employees Monday off so they will have a longer weekend.

Here are some well-known songs about Monday:

• "Blue Monday" (1953) by Fats Domino
• "Monday, Monday" (1966) by the Mamas & the Papas
• "Rainy Days and Mondays" (1971) by the Carpenters
• "I Don't Like Mondays" (1979) by the Boomtown Rats
• "Monday, Monday, Monday" (2002) by Tegan and Sara
• "Manic Monday" (1986) by the Bangles (written by Prince)

Tuesday is the third day of the week on the calendar and the second day of the traditional work week. Four things in the United States that might come to mind about Tuesday:

1. Shrove Tuesday (also called Mardi Gras – Fat Tuesday) comes on Tuesday before Ash Wednesday every year.
2. Many American states have presidential primary elections on Super Tuesday during election years. The Presidential Election in the U.S. is always on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The Presidential Inauguration is usually on January 20, which is often not on a Tuesday.
3. There is a popular restaurant named Ruby Tuesday with 209 locations worldwide.
4. There is a longtime actress whose stage name is Tuesday Weld.

Wednesday is the middle of the work week. That's why some people refer to it as "Hump Day." It is also the night many churches have their mid-week Bible Study.

Thursday is named after Thor, the popular Norse God of Thunder, the Roman God Jupiter, the God of sky and thunder.

Maundy Thursday is the Thursday during Holy Week before Easter Sunday in Christian churches. In the United States, Thanksgiving is always on the fourth Thursday in November, regardless of the date.

College students often refer to Thursday as the new Friday. Some people refer to Thursday as "Friday Eve."

The last day of the traditional work week gets its English name from a Norse deity. Friday is considered an unlucky day in some cultures. In America, it is Friday the 13th that is considered unlucky for those who are superstitious.

For those who like shopping, Black Friday in the United States is the nickname for the day after Thanksgiving Day. It is the first day of the traditional Christmas shopping season when many big-ticket items go on sale.

Saturday gets its name from Saturn, the planet with rings around it. Saturn is named after the Roman God of Wealth and Agriculture.

Saturday is celebrated as a weekend day in most countries. People with traditional work schedules get the day off to sleep, rest, or do whatever they have been putting off all week. They have extra time to go to the park, to the beach, or take their families on a road trip.

Because they do not have to go to work the next day, they can stay up late on Saturday night by going out for a late dinner or to a party with friends. Clubs, bars, and restaurants stay open later on Saturday night than on other nights because of the expected larger crowds.

The Day of the Week When You Were Born

• Monday's child is fair of face,
• Tuesday's child is full of grace.
• Wednesday's child is full of woe,
• Thursday's child has far to go.
• Friday's child is loving and giving,
• Saturday's child works hard for a living.
• And the child born on the Sabbath day
• Is bonny and blithe, good and gay.

Copy and paste this link to find out the day of the week you were born.