There are several opinions about how this day came to be, but this is the real story of how Wednesday got its name.
It was derived from the Latin word Dies Mercurii, meaning “Day of Mercury”; this follows from the tradition of the ancients assigning each day of the week to a “planet”.
See The Complete Story of how Monday Got its Name for explanation
But the name Wednesday comes from the Old English word, Wōdnesdæg (pronounced wohd-nes-dag or wohd-nes-dye), meaning “Day of Wodan”, after the Germanic god Woden – more commonly known as Odin – and who was the highest god in Norse and Anglo-Saxon mythology. The usual explanation for the comparison between Odin (or Wodan) and Mercury is that they were both associated with poetic and musical inspiration.
The connection between this day and Mercury is also evident in other cultures; like Hindu and most other languages in India where it is called Budhavara (Buddha, being the planet god of Mercury). In Japanese and Korean, where it is called sui youbi and su yo il respectively – both meaning “water day” or “day of the water star” in reference to Mercury.
Quick Facts
- As before Portugal, Russia and other Slavic countries like – Croatia, Bulgaria, Serbia, Estonia, Slovenia, Poland and others – do not derive a name for this day from Mercury because of its pagan roots.
- Many Catholic and Protestant churches, as well as some Jewish synagogues schedule study or prayer meetings on Wednesday nights.
- Some religious groups also assign Wednesdays as fasting days.
- In Christendom, the start of the fasting season – known as Lent – is on a Wednesday. It is called Ash Wednesday.
And this completes the true story of how Wednesday got its name. I should add quickly that this day is called “Ojo ru” in Yoruba. What is it called in your native language? Do let us know.
