Monday

Monday is a day of the week.

It sits between Sunday and Tuesday. Many people call it the Moon's day. This is because of the Moon in the sky.

Some folks call it the second day. In some places, it is the first day. Some people even say they hate Mondays.

It is a very busy day for many.

Monday is a day of the week. It sits between Sunday and Tuesday.

In many languages, Monday is named after the Moon. The English name comes from old words meaning "moon's day." This idea is found in many other places too. In Japanese and Korean, the name means "day of the moon." In Hindu culture, Monday is linked to the moon god, Chandra.

Some people call Monday the "second day." This happens in the Catholic Church and in Hebrew. In those traditions, Sunday is the first day. However, some groups use a different rule. The ISO 8601 standard says Monday is the first day of the week. In China, the name for Monday means "day one of the week."

People have many different feelings about Monday. Some songs describe it as a sad or boring day. The comic character Garfield even says, "I hate Mondays."

In some religions, Monday is a special day. Muslims may choose to fast on Mondays. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, people honor angels on this day. In Judaism, Monday can be a good day for fasting.

Monday is a specific day of the week. It sits between Sunday and Tuesday.

Different groups use different rules for it. In North America, people often call Sunday the first day. However, the ISO 8601 standard says Monday is the first day. This standard comes from a group in Geneva. In China, the name for Monday means "day one of the week." This shows how people organize time in different ways.

Many names for Monday come from the Moon. The English word comes from Old English words. These words meant "moon's day." This idea is seen in many other languages too. For example, Japanese and Korean use words that mean "day of the moon." In many Indo-Aryan languages, the names are Somavāra or Chandravāra. These are based on the moon.

Even in German, the word Montag links to the moon.

Some people use "ecclesiastical" names for the day. This means names used by religious groups. They often number the days to avoid using names of old gods. In these traditions, Monday is the "second day." The Catholic Church uses this custom. The Hebrew name yom-sheni also means "second day." In Portuguese, the name is segunda-feira. Vietnamese also calls it the "second day."

Monday is important in many religions. In Islam, Muhammad was born on a Monday. He also received his first revelation on this day. Many Muslims choose to fast on Mondays. In Hinduism, the day is linked to the god Chandra. Some Hindus fast on Mondays for the god Shiva. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, people honor angels on Mondays. In Judaism, Monday and Thursday are special days for reading the Torah.

People have many feelings about this day. Some songs describe Monday as a sad or boring day. The comic character Garfield famously says, "I hate Mondays." In the United Kingdom, more people call in sick on Mondays. Research in Manchester shows more heart attacks happen on Mondays too. In the past, people used Mondays to wash clothes. This is shown in a postcard from 1907. Even Guinness World Records called it the "Worst Day of the Week."

Monday is a specific day of the week that falls between Sunday and Tuesday. Its position in the week depends on which system of measurement is being used. In North America, Sunday is commonly viewed as the first day. However, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 8601) designates Monday as the first day of the week. This standard is based in Geneva. In China, the term xīngqīyī refers to Monday, which literally means "day one of the week." This demonstrates how different cultures organize the sequence of time.

The names for Monday across many languages are deeply connected to the Moon. In the Roman era, the day was called diēs Lūnae, or "day of the Moon." The English noun Monday developed from Old English terms like mōnandæg, which meant "moon's day." This lunar connection appears in many other Germanic languages. For instance, modern German uses Montag, and modern Dutch uses Maandag. Similarly, Japanese and Korean use ancient Chinese characters, 月曜日 and 월요일, which also mean "day of the moon." In Indo-Aryan languages, the terms Somavāra or Chandravāra serve as Sanskrit loan-translations for the Moon.

Some cultures use "ecclesiastical" names for the day. These are religious naming traditions used to avoid the pagan connotations of planetary or deity names. Instead of using the Moon, these systems use numbers. In these traditions, Monday is often called the "second day." The Catholic Church maintains this custom in its liturgical calendar, referring to Monday as feria secunda. This tradition is also seen in Portuguese, where the day is segunda-feira. The Greek Eastern Orthodox Church uses the term Δευτέρα (deutéra), which also means "second." Even in Vietnamese, the day is referred to as thứ Hai, or "Second Day."

Monday holds significant importance in several major world religions. In Islam, it is a day when Muslims are encouraged to perform voluntary fasting. This practice is linked to the Prophet Muhammad, who was born on a Monday and received his first revelation on a Monday. In Hinduism, the day is associated with the moon god Chandra, or Soma. Many Hindus fast on Mondays to show dedication to the god Shiva. Some perform the Solah Somvar Vrat, a fast lasting sixteen Mondays, to find a suitable marriage partner. Fasting during the Hindu month of Shravana is also considered very auspicious.

Other religious traditions also observe specific customs on this day. In Judaism, Monday is considered an auspicious day for fasting. It is also a day when a portion of the weekly Parashah from the Torah is read in public. This practice began because Monday and Thursday were historically "market days" when people gathered in cities. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, Mondays are dedicated to the commemoration of angels. In many Eastern monasteries, monks observe Monday as a fast day to strive for an angelic life. They may abstain from meat, fowl, dairy, fish, wine, and oil.

In modern Western culture, Monday often carries a reputation for being difficult. Many popular songs portray the day as a time of melancholy, anxiety, or boredom. Examples include "Manic Monday" by the Bangles and "Rainy Days and Mondays" by the Carpenters. The famous comic strip character Garfield is well known for his catchphrase, "I hate Mondays." This sentiment is reflected in various statistics. In the United Kingdom, more people call in sick on Mondays than on other days. Additionally, Guinness World Records officially named Monday the "Worst Day of the Week" in 2022.

There are also surprising scientific and social observations regarding this day. Research presented at a British Cardiovascular Society conference in Manchester indicated that serious heart attacks are more likely to occur on a Monday. In the United Kingdom, data shows that more people commit suicide in England and Wales on Mondays than on any other day. Socially, Mondays were historically associated with chores, such as washing clothes. A 1907 postcard titled "Monday Morning in N. Y. City" reflects this tradition. Even in the business world, the name has been used for branding, such as when the firm PricewaterhouseCoopers briefly named a practice "Monday."