Wednesday 54634 225768114 2008-07-15T08:59:55Z Soman 67221 /* Named days */ sindhi iw {{Unreferenced|date=January 2008}} [[Image:Georg von Rosen - Oden som vandringsman, 1886 (Odin, the Wanderer).jpg|right|thumb|250px|The god Woden, after whom 'Wednesday' was named. "Odin, the Wanderer" 1886 by [[Georg von Rosen]] (1843-1923)]] '''Wednesday''' is the third [[day of the week]] in most western countries and the fourth [[day]] of the [[week]] in the Jewish calendar, between [[Tuesday]] and [[Thursday]]. ==Origins of the name== ''See [[Days of the week]] for more on naming conventions.'' The name comes from the [[Middle English]] ''Wednes dei'', which is from [[Old English language|Old English]] ''Wēdnes dæg'', meaning the day of the [[Norse mythology|Norse]] god [[Woden]] (''Wodan'') who was a god of the [[Anglo-Saxons]] in [[England]] until about the 7th century. ''Wēdnes dæg'' is like the [[Old Norse]] ''Oðinsdagr'' ("[[Odin|Odin's]] day"), which is an early translation of the [[Latin]] ''dies Mercurii'' ("Mercury's day"), and reflects the widespread association of Woden with Mercury going back to [[Tacitus]]. In [[Romance languages]] it is derived from the name of the Roman god [[Mercury (mythology)|Mercury]]: ''mercredi'' (French), ''mercoledì'' (Italian), ''miércoles'' (Spanish), ''miercuri'' (Romanian), ''dimecres'' (Catalan), ''dies Mercurii'' (Latin). Similarly, in most of the Indian Languages the name for Wednesday, ''Buddhavar'' is derived from the [[Vedic Sanskrit|Vedic]] name for Mercury, ''Buddha''. ''Buddh'' is also used in [[Urdu]]. [[Russian language|Russian]] does not use pagan names but instead uses ''sredá,'' meaning "middle," similar to the [[German language|German]] ''Mittwoch.'' Likewise, [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] uses the word ''quarta-feira,'' meaning "fourth day." ===Position in the week=== When Sunday is taken as the first of the week, the day in the middle of each week is Wednesday. Arising from this, the [[German language|German]] name for Wednesday has been ''Mittwoch'' (literally: "mid-week") since the 10th Century, having displaced the former name: ''Wodanstag'' ("Wodan's day"). The [[Finnish language|Finnish]] name is similar: ''Keskiviikko'' (literally: "middle of the week") as is the [[Icelandic language|Icelandic]] name: ''Miðvikudagur'' ("Mid-week day"). Wednesday is "sereda" in Ukrainian, which has the same word base as "seredyna", which is translated as "middle". Wednesday is also in the middle of the common Western 5-day [[workweek]] that starts on Monday and finishes on Friday. ==Religious observances== [[Religious Society of Friends|Quakers]] traditionally refer to Wednesday as "Fourth Day", eschewing the [[paganism|pagan]] origin of the name "Wednesday". Most eastern languages also use a name with this meaning, for much the same reason. The [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] observe Wednesday (as well as Friday) as a [[fast day]] throughout the year (with the exception of several fast-free periods during the year). Fasting on Wednesday and Fridays entails [[abstinence]] from [[meat]] or meat products (i.e., four-footed animals), [[poultry]] and [[dairy products]]. Unless a [[feast day]] occurs on a Friday, the Orthodox also abstain from [[fish]], from using oil in their cooking and from [[alcoholic beverages]] (there is some debate over whether abstention from oil involves all [[cooking oil]] or only [[olive oil]]). For the Orthodox, Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the year commemorate the [[Crucifixion of Christ]] and the [[Theotokos]] ([[Mother of God]]), especially as she stood by the foot of the cross. There are hymns in the [[Octoechos (liturgy)|Octoekhos]] which reflect this liturgically. These include special ''[[Theotokion|Theotokia]]'' ([[hymn]]s to the Mother of God) called ''Stavrotheotokia'' ("Cross-Theotokia"). The [[dismissal]] at the end of services on Wednesday begins with these words: "May Christ our true God, through the power of the precious and life-giving cross...." According to the [[Hebrew Bible]], Wednesday is the day when the [[Sun]] and [[Moon]] were created. ==Cultural references== An [[American English]] [[idiom]] for Wednesday is "hump day", a reference to making it through to the middle of the work week as getting "over the hump." In the [[Monday's Child|folk rhyme]], "Wednesday's child is full of woe". In another rhyme reciting the days of the week, [[Solomon Grundy]] was 'Married on Wednesday.' In ''[[Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day]]'', the disagreeable nature of the weather is attributed to it being "Winds-Day" (a play on "Wednesday"). In [[Richard Brautigan]]'s ''[[In Watermelon Sugar]]'' Wednesday is the day when the sun shines grey. Wednesday is used as a character's first or last name in several narrative works, including ''[[Thursday's fictions]]'' by [[Richard James Allen]], [[Neil Gaiman]]'s novel [[American Gods]], and the 60's television show, [[The Addams Family (TV series)|The Addams Family]]. A song titled "Wednesday's Song" is on the 2004 album [[Shadows Collide with People]] by [[John Frusciante]], and "Wednesday" is the title of a song on musician [[Tori Amos]]' "[[Scarlet's Walk]]" album. According to the [[Thailand|Thai]] [[Thai solar calendar|solar calendar]], the color associated with Wednesday is green. [[Sheffield Wednesday Football Club]] are a professional [[Association football|football]] club based in [[Sheffield]], [[Yorkshire]], [[England]]. In the film [[Mean Girls]], Amy Poehler's character makes the girls a "Hump Day Treat". ==Common occurences== {{Expand-section|date=April 2008}} ==Astrology== The [[astrology|astrological sign]] of the planet [[Mercury (planet)|Mercury]] represents Wednesday -- ''Dies Mercurii'' to the Romans, with similar names in Latin-derived languages, such as the [[French language|French]] Mercredi and the [[Spanish language|Spanish]] Miércoles. In English, this became "Woden's Day", since the Roman god [[Mercury (mythology)|Mercury]] was identified with Woden in [[northern Europe]]. ==Named days== *[[Ash Wednesday]], the first day of Roman Catholic [[Lent]], occurs forty days before [[Easter]], not counting Sundays. *Spy Wednesday is an old name given to the Wednesday immediately preceding [[Easter]], in allusion to the betrayal of [[Jesus]] by [[Judas Iscariot]]. {{wiktionary}} {{Days of the week}} [[Category:Wednesday| ]] [[Category:Days of the week]] [[Category:Eastern liturgy]] [[Category:Fasting]] [[af:Woensdag]] [[als:Mittwoch]] [[am:ረቡዕ]] [[ang:Wēdnesdæg]] [[ar:أربعاء]] [[frp:Demécro]] [[ast:Miércoles]] [[gn:Ararundy]] [[az:Çərşənbə]] [[bn:বুধবার]] [[be-x-old:Серада]] [[bs:Srijeda]] [[br:Merc'her (deiz)]] [[bg:Сряда]] [[ca:Dimecres]] [[cv:Юнкун]] [[ceb:Miyerkoles]] [[cs:Středa]] [[co:Marcuri]] [[cy:Dydd Mercher]] [[da:Onsdag]] [[de:Mittwoch]] [[et:Kolmapäev]] [[el:Τετάρτη]] [[es:Miércoles]] [[eo:Merkredo]] [[eu:Asteazken]] [[ee:Kuɖagbe]] [[fo:Mikudagur]] [[fr:Mercredi]] [[fy:Woansdei]] [[fur:Miercus]] [[ga:Céadaoin]] [[gd:Di-Ciadain]] [[gl:Mércores]] [[gan:禮拜三]] [[ko:수요일]] [[hy:Չորեքշաբթի]] [[hi:बुधवार]] [[hr:Srijeda]] [[id:Rabu]] [[ia:Mercuridi]] [[is:Miðvikudagur]] [[it:Mercoledì]] [[he:יום רביעי]] [[jv:Rebo]] [[kn:ಬುಧವಾರ]] [[ka:ოთხშაბათი]] [[kk:Сәрсенбі]] [[kw:Dy' Mergher]] [[ky:Шаршемби]] [[sw:Jumatano]] [[ht:Mèkredi]] [[ku:Çarşem]] [[lad:Mierkoles]] [[la:Dies Mercurii]] [[lv:Trešdiena]] [[lb:Mëttwoch]] [[lt:Trečiadienis]] [[lmo:Mercurdí]] [[hu:Szerda]] [[mk:Среда]] [[ms:Rabu]] [[nah:Yacatlipotōnal]] [[myv:Куншкачи]] [[nl:Woensdag]] [[nds-nl:Woonsdag]] [[ne:बुधवार]] [[ja:水曜日]] [[nap:Miercurì]] [[no:Onsdag]] [[nn:Onsdag]] [[nrm:Mêcrédi]] [[oc:Dimècres]] [[uz:Chorshanba]] [[km:ថ្ងៃពុធ]] [[nds:Middeweken]] [[pl:Środa]] [[pt:Quarta-feira]] [[ksh:Mettwoch]] [[qu:Quyllurchaw]] [[ru:Среда]] [[sco:Wadensday]] [[sq:E mërkura]] [[scn:Mèrcuri]] [[simple:Wednesday]] [[sd: اربع]] [[sk:Streda]] [[cu:Срѣда]] [[sl:Sreda]] [[so:Arbaco]] [[sr:Среда]] [[sh:Sreda]] [[su:Rebo]] [[fi:Keskiviikko]] [[sv:Onsdag]] [[tl:Miyerkules]] [[tt:Çärşämbe]] [[te:బుధవారము]] [[th:วันพุธ]] [[vi:Thứ Tư]] [[tpi:Trinde]] [[tr:Çarşamba (gün)]] [[bug:Rabaa]] [[uk:Середа]] [[ur:بدھ]] [[vec:Mèrcore]] [[fiu-vro:Kolmapäiv]] [[wa:Mierkidi]] [[vls:Woensdag]] [[yi:מיטוואך]] [[yo:Ọjọ́rú]] [[zh-yue:星期三]] [[cbk-zam:Miercoles]] [[bat-smg:Trečiadėinis]] [[zh:星期三]]