Sunday, for most of us, is the final day of the week.
Sunday night is the herald of Monday and the death of the weekend.
However, in some countries, Sunday is considered the first day of the week, not the last.
Sunday is often a day of rest for many around the world, with businesses and banks not often opening on a Sunday or just opening for shorter hours.
There are a few weird facts about Sunday, so let’s get on it with it!
Originally the first day of the week rather than the last (in a calendar derived from Hellenistic astrology), Sunday is named after the Sun.
Unlike many of the other six days in a week, almost every language around has derived its word for Sunday from the meaning “Sun’s Day” or “Day of Sun.”
However, almost is not all. In Russian, the word for Sunday is Воскресенье (Voskreseniye), meaning Resurrection.
In other Slavic languages like Polish, Ukrainian, Croatian, and Bulgarian, among others, the word for Sunday means “no work.”
In the Thai Solar Calendar, red is the color associated with Sunday.
In astrology, Sunday is associated with the Sun.
The Modern Greek word for Sunday means “Lord’s Day.”
In Roman culture, Sunday was the day of the Sun God. In Paganism, the sun was the source of life and a giver of warmth and illumination to mankind. Therefore, it was the center of a popular cult among Romans who would stand at dawn on a Sunday to catch the first rays of sunshine as they prayed.
Many countries, mostly in Europe like France, Sweden, Germany, and Belgium (but also non-European countries like Peru), choose to hold their national and local elections on Sunday, either by law or tradition.
In most Middle Eastern countries, Sunday is the first day of the working week.
In 321 AD, Roman Emperor Constantine I decreed that Sunday was to be a day of rest for all except those engaged in agricultural work.
Worldwide, nearly all banks are closed on Sundays.
Months that begin on a Sunday always have a Friday the 13th in them.
You can be fined up to $1,000 for whistling on a Sunday in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Many American and British daily newspapers publish larger editions on Sundays, often including color comic strips, a magazine, a coupon section, and sometimes a twin release alongside a sister newspaper.
Gloomy Sunday is the name of a popular song composed by Hungarian pianist and composer Rezső Seress and published in 1933. Also known as ‘The Hungarian Suicide Song’, this song has been the center of many urban myths linking it to the suicide of several people who had listened to the song.
In the U.K., most period TV dramas like Downton Abbey, Call The Midwife, Lark Rise to Candleford, and Heartbeat commonly air on a Sunday evening.
K. TV show Antiques Roadshow has always been shown on a Sunday since 1979.
Professional golf tournaments often end on a Sunday.
Most motorsport events like MotoGP, Formula One, and NASCAR Sprint Cup races take place on a Sunday, with Saturday typically being when qualifying for the race takes place.
Easter Sunday is the day that Jesus is said to have been resurrected from the dead.
Cold Sunday is the name given to Sunday, January 17, 1982, when incredibly cold air swept into the U.S. from Canada and plunged temperatures across most of the States far below their existing all-time lows.
That’s it, folks; as the end of the week comes to an end, perhaps this day is a day to rest, reflect, and reset, ready for the next week ahead.
We do hope these little-known facts about Sunday have been insightful; why not check out our other days of the week?
