Wednesday is the middle of the working week, so to many, it’s the herald of the fast-approaching weekend.
That’s why they call it “Hump Day” in America because it’s all smooth sailing from there on out until the weekend.
Wednesday is a name often used for fictional characters, as well as the name used by English football clubs.
With ties to gods and astrology, Wednesday has some interesting facts about it. So without further ado, let’s get on it with it!
Wednesday is named after Woden, the most important God in the German Pantheon, and is often associated with the Norse 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.
Woden and Odin are also associated with the Roman God Mercury, which is reflected in languages derived from Latin in their names for Wednesday, like French with “Mercredi,” Spanish with “Miercoles,” and Italian with “Mercoledì.”
In many Slavic languages, Wednesday translates to “the middle.”
Similarly, in Estonian, Lithuanian, Latvian, and Mandarin Chinese, the name for Wednesday translates to “third day.”
Quakers continue to refer to Wednesday as the “Fourth Day” of the week in keeping with the traditional calendar to avoid the pagan associations Wednesday holds.
According to a survey, bosses are most receptive to requests from their employees on a Wednesday. So if you’re asking for a pay rise or a holiday, make sure you do it on a Wednesday, people!
In the Addams Family films, the daughter is called Wednesday Addams. Creator Charles Addams chose this name because of the nursery rhyme Monday’s Child, which says, “Wednesday’s child is full of woe.”
Wednesday is also seen as a recurring character name within some fiction, including Richard James Allen’s Thursday’s Fictions and Neil Gaiman’s American Gods.
In John Steinbeck’s 1945 novel Sweet Thursday, the Thursday of the title was said to have been preceded by a “Lousy Wednesday.”
In Japanese, the word for Wednesday (sui youbi) means “water day,” as it is associated with the planet Mercury (suisei), which means “water star.”
In German, the word for Wednesday (Mittwoch) is the only day of the week that doesn’t end with “tag,” which means “day.”
The British football team (that’s soccer if you’re American) “Sheffield Wednesday” started as The Wednesday Cricket Club in 1820. They named themselves after the day on which they played their matches.
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.”
Red Wednesday is the name of a Yezidi festival celebrated in Iraq.
Wednesday is known as “hump day” in America because it is the middle of the working week and the hump you must get over to make it to Friday.
In Hindu mythology, Buddha is the God of Mercury, mid-week Wednesday, and the God of Merchants and merchandise.
In the Thai Solar Calendar, the color associated with Wednesday is green.
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. This is reflected in the sports calendar for many public American schools, with Mondays and Thursdays being nights for girls’ games and Tuesdays and Fridays being nights for boys’ games, often avoiding Wednesdays altogether.
In Australia on Wednesday, February 16, 1983, over 100 bushfires swept across southern Australia. Seventy-five people lost their lives, as well as over 300,000 livestock, 2,600 people were injured, and roughly 9,000 homes were destroyed. This day went on to be known as “Ash Wednesday.”
On Wednesday, May 10, 1797, the first U.S. Navy Ship, the “United States,” was launched.
There we have it, folks; hopefully, these astonishing facts will help you push through your hump day.
Do not despair, for the weekend is fast approaching, and it’s all plain sailing from today on out.
