I’m a Wednesday child—that is, I was born on a Wednesday. But am I really full of woe? Some days, maybe! Ha. But, although my grandmother enjoyed parroting that darn poem at me if I was anything other than utterly blissfully fake-happy when I was a kid, today, I consider myself to be as balanced as any of us are in this mad old world.
Anyway, I digress.
Wednesday, the midpoint of the workweek, holds a special place in various cultures and traditions. From its unique name origins to its role in pop culture, there’s much to learn about “hump” day.
Astrological Sign
Wednesday shares its astrological sign with the planet Mercury. Interestingly, in astrology, Mercury rules communication, and is strongly linked to the messenger of the gods, Hermes. So, according to astrological teachings, Wednesdays are the best days for communicating and imparting and retaining information.
Hump Day
In the U.S., Wednesday is often called “Hump Day” because it’s seen as the hardest day to get through. Once you’re over the hump, the rest of the week is smooth sailing as you head toward the weekend.
Holy Wednesday
The Wednesday before Easter is known as “Holy Wednesday,” or “Spy Wednesday,” referring to Judas Iscariot’s betrayal of Jesus.
Bosses Are Most Receptive to Requests
According to a survey, bosses are most open to requests from their employees on a Wednesday. So, if you’re planning to ask for a raise or a day off, Wednesday might be your best bet!
Named After Woden
Wednesday is named after Woden, the top god in the German Pantheon, and is linked to the Norse god Odin. The name comes from Old English Wōdnesdæg and Middle English Wednesdei.
Connection to Mercury
Woden and Odin are associated with the Roman god Mercury. This is why languages derived from Latin have names for Wednesday like French “Mercredi,” Spanish “Miércoles,” and Italian “Mercoledì.”
Water Day in Japan
In Japanese, Wednesday is “sui youbi,” meaning “water day,” associated with the planet Mercury, “suisei,” which means “water star.”
Sheffield Wednesday
The British football team Sheffield Wednesday started as The Wednesday Cricket Club in 1820, named for the day they played matches.
Lousy Wednesday
In John Steinbeck’s novel Sweet Thursday, the title’s Thursday follows a “Lousy Wednesday.”
Full of Woe
In The Addams Family, Wednesday Addams got her name from the nursery rhyme “Monday’s Child,” which says, “Wednesday’s child is full of woe.”
Green Wednesday
In the Thai Solar Calendar, green is the color associated with Wednesday. To me, oddly, that feels right, too. If I had to choose a color for Wednesday, it’d be green.
Different in German
In German, Wednesday is “Mittwoch,” the only day of the week not ending with “tag,” which means “day.”
Quaker Tradition
Quakers refer to Wednesday as the “Fourth Day” to avoid the pagan associations of the name.
Fictional Characters
Wednesday is a recurring name in fiction, appearing in works like Richard James Allen’s Thursday’s Fictions and Neil Gaiman’s American Gods.
American Christianity
In American Christianity, both Catholic and Protestant churches often hold studies, prayers, or meetings on Wednesday nights. This tradition affects the sports schedule in many public American schools, avoiding Wednesday nights for games.
Ash Wednesday
The first day of Lent in the Western Christian calendar is “Ash Wednesday,” following “Shrove Tuesday.” On Ash Wednesday, Catholics are supposed to paint a cross made from ash on their foreheads to symbolize their mortality–ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
The Middle in Slavic Languages
In many Slavic languages, Wednesday translates to “the middle.”
Buddha and Mercury
In Hindu mythology, Buddha is the god of Mercury, Wednesday, and merchants.
Katy Willis is a writer, master herbalist, master gardener, and certified canine nutritionist who has been writing since 2002. She’s finds joy in learning new and interesting things, and finds history, science, and nature endlessly fascinating.
