Sunday birthday. Why are "Saturday" and "Sunday" so named: how did the names of the days off appear What does Sunday mean the day of the week

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. The names of the days of the week are pronounced without thinking about where they came from or why they are arranged in such a sequence.

Accepted long ago and before us. Let's look into the historical chronicles and see how and where Sunday appeared.

Week and Sunday

Before the advent of Christianity, seven days made up a week. This Sunday was the first in it. On this day, it was supposed to rest, do nothing, so soon, based on the phrase, it was renamed into a week.


Christianity brought changes to the name. The week of the week became Sunday. The name is based on the word "resurrect", to which the suffix - yeni is added. It is on this day of the week, according to the scriptures, that the resurrection of Jesus Christ falls. Religion had great weight in society, so the fact of such a renaming is quite logical. The very same sequence of seven days from a week later turned into a week.

Sunday in other languages

Interestingly, the name Sunday exists among the Slavic languages ​​only in Russian. In Belarus, Poland, the Czech Republic, the seventh day is denoted by the term “week” (the grammar is different, the sound is very close). In Bulgaria, the name week is used.

Religion is associated with the name of the day off in many languages ​​of the Romance group. For example, the Italian domenico took its root from the Latin domenicus, "the day of the Lord." In Indian languages, Sunday is named after the solar deities Aditya and Surya.

The sun is also present in English Sunday, time-transformed from the Old English sunnandag, which translates as "the day of the sun." The origins of the origin of this name are laid in ancient Egypt and Rome, after which they migrated to the Germanic languages.
Sunday according to Christian traditions is the period of time from Saturday evening to sunset the next day.

First official holiday

Roman emperor Constantine: "I decide: to rest!". The decree of the ruler of the Roman Empire read a little differently, but the essence was precisely this. The first official holiday on Sunday was March 7, 321. The story goes that a dream prompted the emperor to issue a decree: he saw the sun with a cross and an inscription about victory in the upcoming battle. And so it happened: the army of Constantine won. He remembered the vision after the battle and issued a decree.

On the Day of the Sun, government agencies and markets were forbidden to work. But agricultural labor did not fall under the veto. Theodosius the First supplemented the restrictions half a century later: it is impossible to demand the payment of personal or public debt on weekends. Theodosius II banned theatrical and circus performances (425). The ban on physical labor in the countryside was proclaimed only in 538 at the third Synod, held in Orleans.

Biblical commandments and modern realities

Looking into history even in earlier periods, we can trace that even before the decree of Constantine, the Bible indicated the need to rest on the seventh day. Having created the world in 6 days, the Lord rested on the 7th day and ordered everyone to do it. Therefore, the Bible can be called the first code where the day off is prescribed. True, this is the fourth commandment - about keeping the Sabbath day, not Sunday.

The ban was absolute. The Jews who were brought to the Roman Empire to build the Colosseum refused to work. As a result, it was allowed to do all the work in 6 days, and rest on the 7th.

When did Sunday become a public holiday in Russia?

Sunday became a day off in Orthodox Russia not soon. For the first time, official bans began to be introduced only in the 17th century. Finally fixed even later: the first general day off on Sunday in the Russian Empire on July 14, 1897.

The international standard ISO 8601 has established: Sunday is the last day of the week. The exception is in the USA, Israel and some African countries, when the week starts with it, for which there is a logical explanation - the historical facts given above. The first edition of the document was adopted in 1988. At the same time, the standard does not give mandatory requirements, but recommends the date and time formats described in it for use. The current (third) edition was adopted in 2004.

The religious trace can be traced both in the name of Sunday as Sunday, and in the fact that it is a day off. Jesus resurrected on the third day after the crucifixion, in honor of this event the day was named. The Lord commanded to rest on the seventh day. The international standard recommends that Sunday be the last day of the week.

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Why is Sunday named like that? and got the best answer

Answer from Killer - 78™[guru]
Sunday - The word "Sunday" is named after the resurrection of Jesus on the third day after the crucifixion. For many nations, Sunday was a day dedicated to the Sun (the god of the Sun). This was typical, in particular, for the pre-Christian beliefs of Egypt and was borrowed by the Roman Empire through the name of the days of the week (Sunday - dies Solis, that is, "the day of the Sun"). This name passed to the Germanic tribes, and in the Germanic languages ​​the word "Sunday" literally means "day of the Sun" (English Sunday, German Sonntag). In India, Sunday is called Ravivar - "the day of the Sun". In all Slavic languages, except Russian, Sunday is called "week" (Polish niedziela, Ukrainian week, Belarusian nyadzelya, Czech neděle, etc.), that is, the day when they "do not do", that is, they do not work. In Russian, this name passed to the word week and is sometimes preserved in Orthodox terminology, for example, in the combination "Fomin's week". In Romance languages ​​- "the day of the Lord" (Italian Domenica from Latin dies Dominicus).

Answer from fatal error[master]
because monday is monday


Answer from KatrinKalita[guru]
In Slavic languages, Monday has the meaning of the first day, or, according to one version, the day "after the week", since "Nedelya" is the old Russian word for modern Sunday. In Slavic languages, the second day is unequivocally read as the "second" day of the week, Tuesday. In the Slavic "Wednesday", "Wednesday" the name of the day marks the onset of the middle of the week. In Old Russian, it turns out, there was another name for the environment "tretiynik". In Slavic languages, the meaning of Thursday has a purely numerical meaning of the fourth day. In Slavic languages, Friday means "fifth". The Russian name "Saturday" goes back to the Hebrew "Shabbat", meaning "peace, rest." Christian motifs appeared in the Russian "Sunday". Translated from Spanish, French, Italian, this day is called "Lord's Day". In former times, this day in Russian it was called "Nedelya". Many other Slavic languages ​​successfully preserved this sound: Bulgarians say Nedelya, Ukrainians Nedilya, Czechs Nedele. Well, since the term "week" meant a specific day, what was there instead of what we call week now? It turns out that in the Slavic languages ​​there is also the word "week". It is difficult to say from which language this word migrated to which, but the number seven is clearly present in it. In Bulgaria, the week is still called the week. There is an interesting version , about the old Russian name "week" (as the last day of the week)... It was called so because on this day they "did not do anything", rested.


Answer from May 5[newbie]
According to one version, the word entered the Russian language through the Christian tradition and is a tracing paper of the Greek "?????????", which literally translates as "restoration" or "uprising". The concept of resurrection from the dead is only conditionally synonymous with the resurrection of a dead being, since its main meaning indicates not only and not so much to the restoration in its former form, but primarily to the physical action of getting up. So Psalm 67, which in the Church Slavonic translation reads as “Let God arise and thwart him,” which is explained by some Christian interpreters as a prophetic indication of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, in a literal translation reads “Let God arise, and His enemies be scattered.” According to another version, the verb "to resurrect" has ancient roots and comes from the Old Slavonic pagan "kr? Sati" or "to resurrect" (derived from "kres?" - revival, health). Closely related is the word "kresalo": from "kresati", which means "to create fire with a blow" and lat. creo "create, create, call to life", lat. cresco “grow.” In all Slavic languages, except Russian, Sunday is called “week” (Polish niedziela, Ukrainian week, Belarusian nyadzelya, Czech nedele, etc.), that is, the day when “they don’t do it” , that is, do not work. In Russian, this name passed to the word week and was sometimes preserved in Orthodox church terminology, for example, in the combination "Fomin's week." a day dedicated to the Sun (the god of the Sun). This was typical, in particular, for the pre-Christian beliefs of Egypt. In ancient Rome, the name of Sunday - dies Solis - "the day of the Sun" was borrowed from the Greeks and is a tracing paper of the Greek hemera heliou. The Latin name, in turn, passed to the Germanic tribes. The English name Sunday arose before 1250 from the word sunedai, which in turn comes from the Old English (before 700) Sunnand?g (literal meaning "day of the sun"). The name is cognate with other Germanic languages, including Old Frisian sunnandei, Old Saxon sunnundag, Medieval Dutch sonnendach (modern Dutch zondag), Old High German sunnun tag (modern German Sonntag), Old Norse sunnudagr (modern Danish and Norwegian sondag, Swedish sondag) .In P-Celtic Welsh, the meaning of Sunday as "the day of the sun" is also borrowed from the Romans and sounds like dydd Sul. In most Indian languages, Sunday is called - Ravivar (from "Ravi") or Adityavar (from "Aditya") - derived from the epithets of the solar deity Surya and one of Aditya. In Thailand, the name of the day is also derived from "Adityai" - Waan Arthit.

From childhood, we ourselves, without noticing it, automatically remember the names of all the months of the year, the number of days in each month, as well as the names of all the days of the week that are the immediate components of each month. However, in the question of why each of the days of the week was given the appropriate name, we rarely think about it.

And today we want to pay special attention to the question of why Saturday is called Saturday and Sunday is called Sunday.

Why is Saturday called Saturday

First, let's focus on the first day off each week. Of course, many children who study at school on a "six-day" basis, that is, six days a week, do not really like Saturday, because it's just another school day. But as for adults and other children, for them this particular day of the week becomes the most favorite, because the work or school week is already over, and tomorrow is only Sunday. Saturday is the day on which you can relax the way you want it, and as much as you want.

But why is this day of the week given this name? And the name, according to etymologists, for this day comes from the Hebrew word "Shabbat". This term is known to many, because that is what the Jews call Saturday. This is the day following the working week, and it is on it that the inhabitants of Israel refrain from work, rest both in soul and body.

As for the translation of the word "Shabbat" into Russian, here we get quite obvious "rest", "refrain", "stop". Having slightly transformed "Shabbat", we get a phonetically modified word "Saturday", so native and close to speakers of languages ​​​​of Slavic origin.

It is also noteworthy that in many other languages, Saturday is named after the planet "Saturn" (Saturn). This was a consequence of the fact that the ancient Romans devoted this day of the week to the planet "Saturn". So, for example, in English Saturday is called "Saturday", where it is easy to catch the origin of the name from the name of the sixth planet from the sun.

Why is Sunday called Sunday

In the case of the last day of the week, the history of the origin of its name is extremely obvious, and known to most people. The thing is that it was on this day, two days after the crucifixion, that Jesus Christ was resurrected. It was this legend that became the reason that today is the last day of the week, the second day off, we call the name “Sunday”, which is completely familiar to us.

Have you ever wondered why the days of the week are called that? Those. no one doubts that even a junior schoolboy can easily list them from Monday to Sunday, and he will do it in several languages ​​at once. For example, in Russian, English and German.

But even not every adult can explain the meaning of the days of the week. Such a question, you see, could well be asked to connoisseurs of the well-known program “What? Where? When?". However, not everything is as complicated as it might seem at first glance.

The origin of the word "week"

In order to explain why the days of the week are called so, it is still worthwhile to first define some general concepts.

The word “week”, familiar to us, appeared even before the birth of the Christian faith. So called Sunday, which was in those days the first day of the week. It was later that he became the final one. According to experts, the original week was called a week. The word itself comes from the combination "not to do", that is, to spend time on vacation. As a result, the “laziest” day of the week became the last. And rightly so, in order to rest, you first need to be pretty tired, which means you have to work.

In our time, the week begins on Monday, recognized by the ISO International Organization for the release of standards.

Monday is a hard day

About why the names of the days of the week are exactly like that, there are a lot of legends and fairy tales among any nation.

However, let's still delve into history and try to find a more rational explanation.

The name "Monday" comes from the phrase "after the week." This is the first day following Sunday, which in ancient times was called a week. is monday-, and it is formed in a suffixal way with the addition -.

Day Two - Tuesday

The next day is Tuesday. Looking closely at the word, it is easy to guess how it was once formed. The word consists of the root vtor-, that is, the second in order from the beginning of the week, and the suffix -nik-.

And here is the middle

The name "environment" also has an Old Slavic origin and a common meaning with the words "middle" and "heart". Interestingly, Wednesday is considered the middle of the week only when the week countdown starts from Sunday. Nowadays, this day does not really live up to its name, since the week starts on Monday. By the way, the facts testify that in ancient times the medium had the name "treteynik".

Thursday

In some languages, not only Russian, the day between Tuesday and Thursday means the middle. Some scholars even claim that initially the week consisted of five days, but under the influence of the Christian church, then two more days were added.

The fourth day after Sunday was formed from the common Slavic word "fourth", which also came from the word "fourth" with the help of a suffixal method.

Gradually, this day of the week began to be called Thursday.

Friday - sleep soon

The fifth day after Sunday is a little more difficult. This name also appeared from the serial number "five", but it got its name on the fifth day in honor of the Slavic goddess Pyatnitsa, who had a direct relation to it before. That is why it is called "Friday" and not "Pyatnik" or "pyatak".

Finally Saturday!

It is simply impossible to tell why the days of the week are called that without mentioning the first day of the weekend.

The Sabbath day originates from the Greek word sabbaton, which appeared due to the Hebrew dialect. The Hebrew word sabbath (Shabbat) means "a day of rest and joy," when one must refrain from any work.

The very name "Saturday" came from the Old Slavonic language. Interestingly, the words "Saturday" and "Sabbath" are the same root. In most languages, the name of this day of the week has a common derivation from the Hebrew word "Sabbath". The advent of Christian theology had a great influence on the lexicon of many languages.

Sunday - the crown of the week

The name "Sunday" appeared after the arrival of Christianity on the territory of Russia and replaced the word "week". It is derived from the word "resurrect" and is formed by adding the suffix -eni-. According to Scripture, it was on this day of the week that Jesus Christ was resurrected.

Do children need days of the week?

To understand and comprehend all of the above for adults will not be any problem. But what about the kids? After all, it is they, you see, who tend to ask a huge number of clarifying questions, which are sometimes simply impossible to get rid of.

At the very beginning, the child needs to be explained that there are seven days in a week, each of which has a specific name. The first five days are working days, when adults work and children attend kindergarten or school. Weekends include Saturday and Sunday. Everyone is resting these days.

After that, according to experts, it is already possible to start studying temporary concepts (today, tomorrow, yesterday). For an easier perception of this topic, you need to analyze specific examples with the child. For example, talk about what happened yesterday or will happen tomorrow.

Most likely, a curious child will certainly want to know why the days of the week are called so. You can try to tell him, highlighting the most important thing in the general flow of information. And it’s better, by the way, to do it in a dosed way, because. such a volume of fairly complex new facts is unlikely to be remembered the first time.

Having learned to recognize the days of the week, the child will be able to plan and manage his time in the future, become more independent and organized. Any interest on his part should be encouraged by the parents. It is important for the child to understand what day of the week has come and what will happen on that day.

The names of the days of the week are used very often in everyday life. Therefore, the child hears these words from a very early age, not yet understanding their meaning, but he already begins to memorize this information and get used to it. The attention of the child should be focused on important celebrations for the family, the arrival of close relatives, etc. Discussing these dates in the family circle contributes to the development and learning of the child. This makes it easier to absorb new information.

There are many ways to help remember the names of the days of the week. Here are the simplest ones:

  • You can draw a simple calendar, where all the days of the week will be indicated, hang it in the most visible place. It will be interesting for the child to consider and discuss with an adult every day of the week. For more variety, you can write next to each day the events that occurred during the day.
  • Simple rhymes that should be constantly repeated with a small child will help you learn these names faster. At first, it will be difficult for him, but over time, the baby will remember them and learn to distinguish them on his own.
  • Making simple charts and signs that will reflect the planned events, as well as joint conversations about future family plans. All this will allow the child to get to know the concept of “days of the week” better.

Be patient, because this is a rather difficult process for a small child. Only with constant study and repetition will he be able to understand these words and not get confused in their order.

We pronounce the names of the days of the week automatically, without even thinking about what they mean. Do you know why, for example, Sunday is called Sunday, and not in some other way? And how did it become an official holiday? Let's try to look into the past and understand where this name came from.

From "week" to "Sunday"

Long before Christianity appeared in our country, the week was called a week - according to the number of days. And the first day was not Monday at all, as it is now, but Sunday. It was intended for rest from work and doing nothing, so soon this day was called that - a week.

After the adoption of Christianity in Russia, some adjustments were made to the names of the days of the week. In particular, the week began to be called Sunday. Guess why? The basis of this name is the word "resurrect" - after all, according to the scripture, it was on this day that Jesus Christ was resurrected. In those days, religion was of great importance in the life of the whole society, so it is not surprising that the name logically stuck. And the week later became known as the week - as it is today.

The word "Sunday" in other languages

Interestingly, the word "Sunday" is only in Russian. In no other, including Slavic - Polish, Belarusian, Czech - this word is not. The seventh day of the week is called "week". And the Bulgarians call this day the week.

However, the religious roots of the origin of the word are present in many world languages. For example, in Italian Sunday is called domenico - the root of this word lies in the Latin domenicus, which means "the day of the Lord." In India, Sunday is also named after the ancient sun gods. And in English, Sunday literally means "day of the sun."

The origins of this name take their roots in the culture of Ancient Rome and Ancient Egypt, from where the meaning later passed into Old English and Old Germanic languages. In general, according to Christian traditions, Sunday is the time from sunset on Saturday evening to the next sunset on Sunday.

How did Sunday become a holiday?

For the first time this happened back in 321 by decree of the Roman emperor Constantine. According to historical data, before an important battle, he had a vision in a dream: the sun with a cross, indicating a triumphant victory. Soon this happened. After that, Constantine issued a decree prohibiting any work on the Day of the Sun - Sunday. By the way, interestingly, only merchants and government officials were not allowed to work. For those who cultivated the land, this did not apply.

Even looking at the Bible, one can find evidence that the seventh day of the week is a holiday. After all, as you know, God created the earth in six days, and rested on the seventh - which he commanded all people to do. True, at first, as we have already mentioned, the seventh day was Saturday, and not Sunday at all.

Official holiday in Russia

Work bans began to be introduced in our country only in the 17th century, and it was officially fixed only in 1897. Since then, Sunday has been a mandatory holiday throughout the country and, perhaps, the most favorite day of the week for many.