Nepedia
Back to Discover
Fluent Reader
📖

Friday

language culture Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Friday is a very special day of the week. It sits right between Thursday and Saturday. Depending on where you live, it might be the fifth day or the sixth day. In many Western countries, it is the last day of the work week. In some places, like Iran, it is the last day of the weekend. Other countries, like Bahrain and the UAE, changed their weekend rules in 2006. Now, the UAE uses a Saturday and Sunday weekend.

UTM-friday
UTM-friday

The name of this day has a very long history. In Old English, the name meant the "day of Frig." This comes from a Germanic goddess named Frigg. Many people also link Friday to the Roman goddess Venus. This connection shows up in many different languages. In Spanish and Italian, the names come from Venus. In Japanese and Korean, the names use words for the planet Venus too. Even in the Nahuatl language, it is called the "day of Quetzalcoatl."

FriggSpinning
FriggSpinning

Different religions have many ways to observe Friday. In Islam, Friday is a day of peace and mercy. It is a time for congregation prayer at a mosque. Muslims call it "Syed-ul-Ayyam," which means the "King of days." In Christianity, Friday is a day for remembering the crucifixion of Jesus. Some groups, like the Eastern Orthodox Church, fast on Fridays. Fasting means they do not eat certain foods like meat or dairy. In 1962, a man named Lou Groen even invented the Filet-O-Fish because of this practice.

UTM-friday
UTM-friday

Some people also have different feelings about the luck of Friday. In the past, many sailors thought Friday was an unlucky day. They believed it was bad to start a sea voyage on a Friday. This idea is why people talk about "Black Friday" or Friday the 13th. They think these days might bring bad luck. However, not everyone believes this. In Scotland, the culture does not see it the same way. In Thailand, people simply link the day to the color blue.

Friday connects to many things we see in our world today. In astrology, it is linked to the planet Venus and the sign Libra. Many people use "Casual Friday" to wear relaxed clothes at work. You might even hear about "Fridays for Future," which is a climate strike movement. In the Hindu tradition, the day is named for Shukracharya. It is also an important day for married ladies to worship goddesses. Whether it is a day for rest, prayer, or work, Friday is a busy part of our week.

422 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (2)
File:FriggSpinning.jpg
FriggSpinning.jpg
File:UTM-friday.JPG
UTM-friday.JPG
More to explore

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.