Wednesday

Wednesday is the day of the week located between Tuesday and Thursday. Its position depends on the calendar system being used. According to the international ISO 8601 standard, it is the third day of the week. However, in countries that follow the traditional convention of starting the week with Sunday, it is the fourth day. In the common Western five-day workweek, Wednesday serves as the middle point. This central position has led many people in North America to call it "hump day." This nickname refers to the idea of climbing over a hump to reach the end of the workweek.

The etymology, or history of the name, reveals connections between ancient cultures. In English, the name comes from Old English and Middle English terms meaning "day of Woden." Woden is the Germanic equivalent to the Norse god Odin.

Many Romance languages, such as French, Spanish, and Italian, use a different method. They use a calque, which is a word-for-word translation, of the Latin "day of Mercury." This occurred because the Roman era saw the Germanic god Woden as being similar to the Roman god Mercury. This system of naming days after the seven classical planets was documented as early as approximately AD 170.

Different language families use various ways to describe this specific day. In Japanese and Korean, the word for Wednesday means "water day." This is because the planet Mercury is referred to as the "water star" in those languages. In many Indian languages, the name is Budha-var, meaning "day of Budha," who is the god of Mercury. Most Slavic languages, such as Polish and Russian, use names that derive from the concept of "the middle." In contrast, languages like Arabic, Hebrew, and Persian use terms that translate to "fourth day." Meanwhile, Mandarin Chinese refers to it as "day three" because Sunday is not numbered.

Religious traditions assign significant meaning to Wednesday through fasting and prayer. The Eastern Orthodox Church observes Wednesday as a fast day throughout most of the year. This fast commemorates the betrayal of Jesus. During these times, followers abstain from meat, poultry, and dairy products. They may also avoid fish, oil, and alcohol, though there is some debate regarding specific types of oil. In the Catholic tradition, Wednesday is the day devoted to Saint Joseph. Catholics also meditate on the "glorious mysteries" of the Holy Rosary on Wednesdays. In Hinduism, Wednesday is associated with Budha, the god of Mercury and merchants. Devotees may also worship Krishna, Vithoba, and Ganesha on this day.

Specific Wednesdays hold unique religious or historical importance. Ash Wednesday marks the first day of Lent in the Western Christian tradition. It occurs forty-six days before Easter, if you do not count the Sundays. Another significant day is Holy Wednesday, often called "Spy Wednesday." This name refers to the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot just before Easter. There is also a Yezidi festival in Iraq known as Red Wednesday. In a modern financial context, "Black Wednesday" refers to a specific financial crisis that occurred in the United Kingdom.

Cultural usage of the name often appears in literature and folklore. In the folk rhyme "Monday's Child," the line states that "Wednesday's child is full of woe." This concept influenced the character name Wednesday Addams from the fictional Addams Family. In the Thai solar calendar, the color associated with Wednesday is green. Some Nordic cultures practice "Lillördag," which means "little Saturday." This is a tradition where Wednesday evening is treated as a small weekend celebration. Even in literature, the day carries specific moods, such as in Richard Brautigan's novel where the sun shines grey on Wednesdays.

Wednesday acts as a bridge between various social and religious systems. In many American public schools, the sports calendar uses Wednesday to balance schedules. Many schools reserve Mondays and Thursdays for girls' games and Tuesdays and Fridays for boys' games. This often leaves Wednesday evenings free from organized sports. The day connects ancient astrological signs, like Gemini and Virgo, to the modern weekly cycle. Whether through the lens of the Roman god Mercury or the Germanic god Woden, Wednesday remains a vital point of reference in human timekeeping.