Jump to content

Monday

Edit links
Page protected with pending changes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, seeMonday (disambiguation).

Galileo's 1616 drawings of theMoonand its phases. Monday is named after the Moon in many languages.

Mondayis theday of the weekthat takes place betweenSundayandTuesday.[1]According to theInternational Organization for Standardization'sISO 8601standard, it is the firstdayof theweek.[2]

Names[edit]

Further information:Names of the days of the week
A depiction ofMáni,the personified moon, and his sisterSól,the personified sun, fromNorse mythology(1895) byLorenz Frølich

The names of the day of the week were coined in theRoman era,inGreekand Latin, in the case of Monday as ἡμέρᾱΣελήνης,diēs Lūnae"day of the Moon".[3]

Many languages use either terms directly derived from these names or loan translations based on them. The English nounMondayderived sometime before 1200 frommonedæi,which itself developed fromOld English(around 1000)mōnandægandmōndæg(literally meaning "moon's day "), which has cognates in otherGermanic languages,includingOld Frisianmōnadeig,Middle Low GermanandMiddle Dutchmānendag, mānendach(modernDutchMaandag),Old High Germanmānetag(modernGermanMontag), andOld Norsemánadagr(SwedishandNorwegian nynorskmåndag,Icelandicmánudagur.DanishandNorwegian bokmålmandag). The Germanic term is aGermanic interpretationofLatinlunae dies( "day of the moon" ).[4] JapaneseandKoreanshare the same ancientChinese words' Nguyệt Diệu Nhật ' (Hiragana:げつようび,translit.getsuyо̄bi,Hangeul:월요일) for Monday which means "day of the moon". In manyIndo-Aryan languages,the word for Monday isSomavāraorChandravāra,Sanskritloan-translations of "Monday".[5]

In some cases, the "ecclesiastical" names are used, a tradition of numbering the days of the week in order to avoid the pagan connotation of the planetary or deities’ names, and to keep with the biblical name, in which Monday is the "second day" (Hebrew יום שני, Greek Δευτέρα ἡμέρα (Deutéra hēméra), Latinferia secunda, Arabic الأثنين). In manySlavic languagesthe name of the day translates to "after Sunday/holiday".Russianпонедельник(ponyedyelnik) literally translated, Monday means "next to the week", по "next to" or "on" недельник "(the) week"CroatianandBosnianponedjeljak,Serbianпонедељак(ponedeljak),Ukrainianпонеділок(ponedilok),Bulgarianпонеделник(ponedelnik),Polishponiedziałek,Czechpondělí,Slovakpondelok,Slovenianponedeljek.In Turkish it is calledpazartesi,which also means "after Sunday".

Arrangement in the week[edit]

Historically, the Greco-Roman week began with Sunday (dies solis), and Monday (dies lunae) was the second day of the week.[citation needed]It is still the custom to refer to Monday asferia secundain theliturgical calendarof theCatholic Church.Quakersalso traditionally referred to Monday as "Second Day".[6]

ThePortugueseand theGreek(Eastern Orthodox Church) also retain the ecclesiastical tradition (Portuguesesegunda-feira,GreekΔευτέρα"deutéra""second ").Vietnamese,whoseLatin-based Alpha betwas originallyromanizedby PortugueseJesuitmissionaries,adopted this convention and thus also refers to Monday as Second Day (thứ Hai). Likewise, theModern Hebrewname for Monday isyom-sheni(יום שני).

While in North America, Sunday is the first day of the week, the Geneva-basedInternational Organization for Standardizationplaces Monday as the first day of the week in itsISO 8601standard. Monday isxīngqīyī ( thứ hai )inChinese,meaning "day one of the week".

Religious observances[edit]

Christianity[edit]

Theearly ChristianDidachewarned believers not to fast on Mondays to avoidJudaizing(seebelow), and suggested fasting on Wednesdays instead.

In theEastern Orthodox Church,Mondays are days on which theAngelsare commemorated. TheOctoechoscontainshymnson this theme, arranged in an eight-week cycle, which are chanted on Mondays throughout the year. At the end ofDivine Serviceson Mondays, thedismissalbegins with the words: "May Christ our True God, through theintercessions,of his most-pureMother,of the honorable, Bodiless Powers (i.e., the angels) ofHeaven…".In many EasternmonasteriesMondays are observed asfast days;because Mondays are dedicated to the angels, andmonksstrive to live an angelic life. In these monasteries, the monks abstain from meat, fowl, dairy products, fish, wine and oil (if afeast dayoccurs on a Monday, fish, wine and oil may be allowed, depending upon the particular feast).

Members of theChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saintsspend one evening per week, calledFamily Home Evening(FHE) or Family Night. This is usually a Monday, when families are encouraged to spend time together in study, prayer and other family activities. Many businesses[who?]owned by Latter-Day Saints close early on Mondays so that they and their customers are able to spend more time with their families.

Hinduism[edit]

InHinduism,Mondays are associated with theHindu godof the moonChandraor Soma. In severalSouth Asian languages,Monday is knowns asSomavara.Hindus who fast on Mondays do so in dedication to the deityShiva.Some observe theSolah Somvar Vrat,which is a fast of sixteen Mondays dedicated to Shiva in hopes of getting married and finding a suitable partner. Fasting on Mondays in the Hindu month ofShravanais also considered auspicious as it is one of the holiest months to Hindus and dedicated to Shiva and his consortParvati.[7][8]

Islam[edit]

InIslam,Mondays are one of the days in a week in which Muslims are encouraged to dovoluntary fasting,the other being Thursdays.[9]

There are a number ofHadithwhich narrated ofMuhammadfasting on these days. According to the same Hadith, Muhammad was born on Monday. It is also narrated that he received hisfirst revelation(which would later becomethe Quran) on Monday.[10]

Judaism[edit]

InJudaism,Mondays are considered auspicious days for fasting.

In Judaism, a small portion of the weeklyParashahinTorahis read in public on Monday and Thursday mornings, as a supplement for theSaturdayreading). Special penitential prayers are recited on Monday unless there is a special occasion for happiness which cancels them. According to the Mishna and Talmud, these traditions are due to Monday and Thursday being "the market days" when people gathered from the towns to the city.

A tradition ofAshkenazi Jewsto voluntarily fast on the first consecutive Monday Thursday and Monday of the Hebrew month is prevalent among the ultra-orthodox.

In Hebrew, Monday is called "Yom Shení", literally meaning "Second Day", following the biblical reference to the sabbath day as the "Seventh-day" and the tradition of that day being onSaturday.It has been established that the phonetic and cultural link between the planet Saturn, Saturday and the Sabbath day is of ancient Mesopotamian origin.[11]

Cultural references[edit]

This postcard, sent in 1907 and captioned "Monday Morning in N. Y. City", reflects the tradition of Monday as a day for washing clothes.

A number of popular songs in Western culture portray Mondays often as days of depression, anxiety, avolition, hysteria, or melancholy (mostly because of its association with the first day of the workweek). Mondays are also portrayed as days of boredom and bad luck, especially for many people in their school years, who have to go back to school every Monday after having no school Saturday and Sunday, which can make them grow a hatred for Mondays. For example, "Monday, Monday"(1966) from theMamas & the Papas;"Rainy Days and Mondays"(1971) from theCarpenters;Monday, Monday, Monday (2002) fromTegan and Sara;and "Manic Monday"(1986) from theBangles(written byPrince).

There is a band named theHappy Mondaysand an American pop-punk bandHey Monday.

The popular comic strip characterGarfieldby Jim Davis is well known for his hatred for Mondays, mostly accompanied by the catchphrase “I hate Mondays.”[12]

In theUnited Kingdom,more people commit suicide inEnglandandWaleson Mondays than other days of the week;[13]more people in the country in general call in sick;[14]and more people worldwide surf the web.[15]

In July 2002, the consulting firmPricewaterhouseCoopersannounced that it would rename its consultancy practice "Monday", and would spend $110 million over the next year to establish the brand. WhenIBMacquired the consultancy three months later it chose not to retain the new name.[16]

On October 17, 2022,Guinness World Recordsannounced onTwitter[17]that Monday is the 'Worst Day of the Week',to the dismay of some people.[18][19]

Named days[edit]

See also[edit]

Look upMondayin Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Notes[edit]

  1. ^"Monday Meaning".Cambridge Dictionary.
  2. ^"ISO 8601-1:2019(en) Date and time — Representations for information interchange — Part 1: Basic rules".iso.org.Retrieved14 May2024.
  3. ^"monday".Online Etymology Dictionary.
  4. ^Barnhart (1995:485).
  5. ^Turner(1962)."sōmavāra 13610".A comparative dictionary of the Indo-Aryan languages. London: Oxford University Press.Digital Dictionaries of South Asia, University of Chicago. p. 784. Archived fromthe originalon 15 December 2012.Retrieved21 February2010.sōmavāra 13610 sōmavāra masculine 'Monday' inscription [sṓma the plant, vāra 2 meaning day]
  6. ^"Guide to Quaker Calendar Names".Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative) Religious Society of Friends (Quakers).Retrieved30 March2017.In the 20th Century, many Friends began accepting the use of the common date names, feeling that any pagan meaning has been forgotten. The numerical names continue to be used, however, in many documents and more formal situations. "
  7. ^"Somvar Vrat".
  8. ^"Shravan Somvar Vrat".
  9. ^"Fasting Six Days of Shawwal on Mondays and Thursdays - Islam Question & Answer".islamqa.info.Retrieved11 January2023.
  10. ^Elias, Abu Amina (15 April 2019)."Hadith on Fasting: Recommendation to fast Monday, three days a month".abuaminaelias.Retrieved26 November2023.
  11. ^Saturn Jews,Eric Zafran Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes. See alsoHebrew UniversityProfessorMoshe Idel's book, Saturn Jews, and Shlomo Sela's articleSaturn and the Jews(University of Pennsylvania) about trends in late Judaism distancing it from the link between the Sabbath day and Saturn.
  12. ^Minow, Neil (3 November 2014)."Jim Davis Explains Why Garfield Loves Lasagna and Hates Mondays and Why People Love Garfield".Retrieved28 March2016.
  13. ^Carvel, John (26 August 2005)."Monday is most common day for suicide".The Guardian.London.
  14. ^"Monday is 'the most popular sick day'".Blog.taragana. 10 November 2009. Archived fromthe originalon 27 April 2010.Retrieved30 April2013.
  15. ^"OneStat Website Statistics and website metrics – Press Room".Onestat. 9 April 2003. Archived fromthe originalon 30 April 2003.Retrieved30 April2013.
  16. ^Blakely, Beth (17 July 2002)."Monday: PwC Consulting's new name creates controversy, cackles | TechRepublic".Articles.techrepublic.Retrieved30 April2013.
  17. ^"Guiness World Records:" we're officially giving monday the record of the worst day of the week. "".Twitter.Retrieved21 October2022.
  18. ^"Guinness World Records declares Monday the worst day of the week. Netizens react".The Indian Express.18 October 2022.Retrieved21 October2022.
  19. ^"Guinness World Records Officially Declares Monday 'Worst Day Of The Week'".NDTV.Retrieved21 October2022.

References[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toMonday.
Wikiquote has quotations related toMonday.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Monday&oldid=1230697909"