In some cases, the "ecclesiastical" names are used, a tradition of numbering the days of the week 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 languages the 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"Croatian andBosnianponedjeljak,Serbianпонедељак (ponedeljak),Ukrainianпонеділок (ponedilok),Bulgarianпонеделник (ponedelnik),Polishponiedziałek,Czechpondělí,Slovakpondelok,Slovenianponedeljek. In Turkish it is calledpazartesi, which also means "after Sunday".
Historically, the Greco-Roman week began with Sunday (dies solis), and Monday (dies lunae) was the second day of the week.[3] It is still the custom to refer to Monday asferia secunda in theliturgical calendar of theCatholic Church.Quakers also traditionally referred to Monday as "Second Day".[6]
ThePortuguese and theGreek (Eastern Orthodox Church) also retain the ecclesiastical tradition (Portuguesesegunda-feira, GreekΔευτέρα "deutéra" "second").Vietnamese, whoseLatin-based alphabet was originallyromanized by PortugueseJesuitmissionaries, adopted this convention and thus also refers to Monday as Second Day (thứ Hai). Likewise, theModern Hebrew name for Monday isyom-sheni (יום שני).
While in North America, Sunday is the first day of the week, the Geneva-basedInternational Organization for Standardization places Monday as the first day of the week in itsISO 8601 standard. Monday isxīngqīyī (星期一) inChinese, meaning "day one of the week".
In theEastern Orthodox Church, Mondays are days on which theAngels are commemorated. TheOctoechos containshymns on this theme, arranged in an eight-week cycle, which are chanted on Mondays throughout the year. At the end ofDivine Services on Mondays, thedismissal begins 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 Easternmonasteries Mondays are observed asfast days; because Mondays are dedicated to the angels, andmonks strive to live an angelic life. In these monasteries, the monks abstain from meat, fowl, dairy products, fish, wine and oil (if afeast day occurs on a Monday, fish, wine and oil may be allowed, depending upon the particular feast).
Members of theChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spend one evening per week, calledFamily Home Evening (FHE) or Family Night.[8] This is usually a Monday, when families are encouraged to spend time together in study, prayer and other family activities.
InHinduism, Mondays are associated with theHindu god of the moonChandra or Soma. In severalSouth Asian languages, Monday is knowns asSomavara orSomavaram. 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 ofShravana is also considered auspicious as it is one of the holiest months to Hindus and dedicated to Shiva and his consortParvati.[9][10]
InIslam, Mondays are one of the days in a week in which Muslims are encouraged to dovoluntary fasting, the other being Thursdays.[11]
There are a number ofHadith which narrated ofMuhammad fasting on these days. According to the same Hadith, Muhammad was born on a Monday. It is also narrated that he received hisfirst revelation (which would later becomethe Quran) on Monday.[12]
InJudaism, Mondays are considered auspicious days for fasting.
In Judaism, a small portion of the weeklyParashah inTorah is read in public on Monday and Thursday mornings, as a supplement for theSaturday reading). 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 Jews to 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.[13]
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 on 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).
The popular comic strip characterGarfield by Jim Davis is well known for his hatred for Mondays, mostly accompanied by the catchphrase “I hate Mondays.”[14]
In theUnited Kingdom, more people commit suicide inEngland andWales on Mondays than other days of the week;[15] more people in the country in general call in sick;[16] and more people worldwide surf the web.[17]
In July 2002, the consulting firmPricewaterhouseCoopers announced that it would rename its consultancy practice "Monday", and would spend $110 million over the next year to establish the brand. WhenIBM acquired the consultancy three months later it chose not to retain the new name.[18]
^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 original on 15 December 2012. Retrieved21 February 2010.sōmavāra 13610 sōmavāra masculine 'Monday' inscription [sṓma the plant, vāra 2 meaning day]
^"Guide to Quaker Calendar Names". Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative) Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). Retrieved30 March 2017.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."
^Saturn Jews, Eric Zafran Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes. See alsoHebrew University ProfessorMoshe 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.
