Editing Sunday

{{short description|Day of the week}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Distinguish|Sundae}}
{{more citations needed|date=October 2019}}
[[File:Pierre-Le-Moyne-De-l'art-de-regner MGG 0910.tif|thumb|''Sol Iustitiae (Sun of [[Righteousness]])'', derived from the [[Hebrew Bible|Judeo-Christian Bible]], Malachi 4:2. By [[Albrecht Dürer]], {{circa|1499/1500}}]]

'''Sunday''' (Latin: ''dies solis'' meaning "day of the sun") is the [[day]] of the [[week]] between [[Saturday]] and [[Monday]]. Sunday is a [[Christian sabbath|day of rest]] in most [[Western countries]] and a part of the [[Workweek and weekend|weekend]]. In some [[Middle East|Middle Eastern]] countries, Sunday is a weekday.<ref>{{Cite web |last=National |first=The |date=2021-12-07 |title=Which countries have a Friday-Saturday weekend? |url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/2021/12/07/when-is-the-weekend-in-the-arab-world/ |access-date=2023-11-26 |website=The National |language=en}}</ref>

For most [[Christians]], Sunday is observed as a day of worship and rest, holding it as the [[Lord's Day]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sunday {{!}} Rest, Worship, Reflection {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sunday-day-of-week |access-date=2024-12-06 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> and the day of Christ's resurrection; in the [[United States]], [[Canada]], [[Japan]], as well as in parts of [[South America]], Sunday is the first day of the week.<ref name="Lyons2019">{{cite web |last1=Lyons |first1=Gabrielle |title=Sunday Vs Monday: Which day do you consider the start of the week? |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-18/which-day-do-you-consider-the-start-of-the-week/11346348 |publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |access-date=11 February 2021 |language=English |date=17 August 2019}}</ref> According to the [[Islamic calendar]], [[Hebrew calendar]] and traditional calendars (including Christian calendars) Sunday is the first day of the week; [[Quaker Christian]]s call Sunday the "first day" in accordance with their [[testimony of simplicity]].<ref name="Lapsansky2003">{{cite book |last1=Lapsansky |first1=Emma Jones |title=Quaker Aesthetics: Reflections on a Quaker Ethic in American Design and Consumption, 1720-1920 |date=26 January 2003 |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press |isbn=978-0-8122-3692-7 |page=65 |language=English}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Bible (King James)/Matthew - Wikisource, the free online library |url=https://en.m.wikisource.org/wiki/Bible_(King_James)/Matthew#Chapter_28 |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=en.wikisource.org |language=en}}</ref> The [[International Organization for Standardization]] [[ISO 8601]], which is based in [[Switzerland]], calls Sunday the seventh day of the week.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ISO 8601-1:2019(en) Date and time — Representations for information interchange — Part 1: Basic rules |url=https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/en/#iso:std:iso:8601:-1:ed-1:v1:en |access-date=2024-05-14 |website=www.iso.org}}</ref><ref name="npl.co.uk">"Monday shall be identified as calendar day [1] of any calendar week, and subsequent calendar days of the same calendar week shall be numbered in ascending sequence to Sunday (calendar day [7])."
Further discussion: UK National Physical Laboratory: "Which is the first day of the week? And which is week 1 of the year? (FAQ - Time)": |http://www.npl.co.uk/science-technology/time-frequency/time/faqs/which-is-the-first-day-of-the-week-and-which-is-week-1-of-the-year-(faq-time) (Archive here: https://archive.today/20160716145156/http://www.npl.co.uk/science-technology/time-frequency/time/faqs/which-is-the-first-day-of-the-week-and-which-is-week-1-of-the-year-(faq-time)</ref>

==Etymology==
[[File:Máni and Sól by Lorenz Frølich.jpg|thumb|A depiction of [[Máni]], the personified Moon, and his sister [[Sól (Sun)|Sól]], the personified Sun, from [[Norse mythology]] (1895) by [[Lorenz Frølich]].]]
The name "Sunday", the day of the Sun, is derived from [[Hellenistic astrology]], where the [[Planet#Greco-Roman astronomy|seven planets]] – known in English as Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, the Sun, Venus, Mercury and the Moon – each had an hour of the day assigned to them, and the planet which was [[Domicile (astrology)|regent]] during the first hour of any day of the week gave its name to that day. During the 1st and 2nd centuries, the week of seven days was introduced into Rome from [[Egypt]], and the Roman names of the planets were given to each successive day.

[[Germanic peoples]] seem to have adopted the week as a division of time from the Romans, but they changed the Roman names into those of corresponding [[Teutons|Teutonic]] [[deities]]. Hence, the ''dies Solis'' became Sunday (German, ''Sonntag'').<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-11-12 |title=Where Does "Sunday" Get Its Name From? |url=https://www.dictionary.com/e/where-did-name-sunday-come-from/ |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=Dictionary.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

The English noun ''Sunday'' derived sometime before 1250 from ''sunedai'', which itself developed from [[Old English]] (before 700) ''Sunnandæg'' (literally meaning "sun's day"), which is cognate to other [[Germanic languages]], including [[Old Frisian]] ''sunnandei'', [[Old Saxon]] ''sunnundag'', [[Middle Dutch]] ''sonnendach'' (modern Dutch ''zondag''), [[Old High German]] ''sunnun tag'' (modern German ''Sonntag''), and [[Old Norse]] ''sunnudagr'' (Danish and Norwegian ''søndag'', Icelandic ''sunnudagur'' and Swedish ''söndag''). The Germanic term is a [[Interpretatio graeca|Germanic interpretation]] of Latin ''dies solis'' ("day of the sun"), which is a translation of the [[ancient Greek]] Ἥλίου ημέρα" (''Hēlíou hēméra'').<ref name=BARNHART778>Barnhart (1995:778).</ref>

In most [[Languages of India|Indian languages]], the word for Sunday is derived from Sanskrit ''Ravivāra'' or ''Adityavāra'' — ''vāra'' meaning day and ''Aditya'' and ''Ravi'' both being names for [[Surya]], the Sun and the solar deity. Ravivāra is the first day cited in [[Jyotisha]], which provides logical reason for giving the name of each weekday. In the [[Thai solar calendar]], the name ("Waan Arthit") is derived from Aditya, and the associated colour is red.

In most [[Slavic languages]] other than Russian, the words for Sunday reflect the Christian commandment to abstain from work. Belarusian {{lang|be|нядзеля}} ({{transliteration|be|nyadzelya}}), Bulgarian {{lang|bg|неделя}} ({{transliteration|bg|nedelya}}), Croatian and Serbian ''nedjelja'' / {{lang|sr|недеља}}, Czech ''neděle'', Macedonian {{lang|mk|недела}} ({{transliteration|mk|nedela}}), Polish ''niedziela'', Slovak ''nedeľa'', Slovenian ''nedelja'' and Ukrainian {{lang|uk|неділя}} ({{transliteration|uk|nedilya}}) are all cognates literally meaning "no work" or "day with no work".

In Russian, the word for Sunday is {{lang|ru|Воскресенье}} ({{transliteration|ru|Voskreseniye}}) meaning "resurrection" (that is, the day of a week which commemorates the resurrection of [[Jesus Christ]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://seminarzkr.narod.ru/kalendar/pages/01_mir/pr_00_nedelja.html|title=ДНИ НЕДЕЛИ - СЛАВЯНСКАЯ СЕДЬМИЦА | access-date=2013-06-19}}</ref> In Old Russian, Sunday was also called {{lang|ru|неделя}} ({{transliteration|ru|nedelya}}), "free day", or "day with no work", but in the contemporary language this word means "week".

The Modern Greek word for Sunday, {{langx|el|Κυριακή|label=none|italic=yes}}, is derived from {{langx|el|Κύριος|label=none|italic=yes}} ([[Kyrios]], Lord) also, due to its liturgical significance as the day commemorating [[Resurrection of Jesus|the resurrection of Jesus Christ]], i.e. [[Lord's Day|The Lord's Day]].

The name is similar in the [[Romance Languages|Romance languages]]. In Italian, Sunday is called {{lang|it|domenica}}, which also means "Lord's Day" (from Latin {{lang|la|Dies Dominica}}). One finds similar cognates in French, where the name is {{lang|fr|dimanche}}, as well as Romanian {{lang|ro|duminică}}, and in Spanish and Portuguese, {{lang|es|domingo}}.

In Chinese, Korean, and Japanese, Sunday is called {{lang|zh|星期日}} ({{transliteration|zh|Xīng qī rì}}), {{lang|ko|일요일}} ({{transliteration|ko|Il-yo-Il}}), and {{lang|ja|日曜日}} ({{transliteration|ja|Nichiyōbi}}) respectively, which all mean "sun day of the week".

The Arabic word for Sunday is {{lang|ar|الأحد|rtl=yes}} ({{transliteration|ar|Al-Ahad}}), meaning "the first". It is usually combined with the word {{lang|ar|يوم|rtl=yes}} ({{transliteration|ar|Yawm}}) meaning "day".

The Latvian word for Sunday is ''svētdiena'', literally "holy day", while the Lithuanian word is ''sekmadienis'' (< ''sekma'' 'seventh' + ''diena'' 'day'). The [[fossil word]] ''sekmas'' (male), ''sekma'' (female) has been displaced by ''septintas'' (''septinta'') in contemporary Lithuanian.

==Position in the week==

===ISO 8601===
The international standard [[ISO 8601]] for representation of dates and times states that Sunday is the seventh and last day of the week.<ref name="npl.co.uk"/> This method of representing dates and times unambiguously was first published in 1988.

===Culture and languages===
{{main|Names of the days of the week#Numbered days of the week}}

In the Judaic, Christian, and some Islamic traditions, Sunday has been considered the first day of the week. A number of languages express this position either by the name of the day or by the naming of the other days. In Hebrew it is called יום ראשון ''yom rishon'', in Arabic الأحد ''al-ahad'', in Persian and related languages یکشنبه ''yek-shanbe'', all meaning "first".

In Greek, the names of the days Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday ({{langx|el|Δευτέρα}}, {{langx|el|Τρίτη}}, {{langx|el|Τετάρτη}}, and {{langx|el|Πέμπτη}}) mean "second", "third", "fourth", and "fifth", respectively. This leaves Sunday in the first position of the week count. Similarly in [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], where the days from Monday to Friday are counted as "segunda-feira", "terça-feira", "quarta-feira", "quinta-feira" and "sexta-feira". In Vietnamese, the working days in the week are named as: ''Thứ Hai'' (Second), ''Thứ Ba'' (Third), ''Thứ Tư'' (Fourth), ''Thứ Năm'' (Fifth), ''Thứ Sáu'' (Sixth), and ''Thứ Bảy'' (Seventh). Sunday is called "Chủ Nhật"([[chữ Hán]]: 主日) meaning "[[Lord's Day]]". Some colloquial text in the south of [[Vietnam]] and from [[Catholic Church in Vietnam|the church]] may use a different reading of "Chúa Nhật"(in contemporary Vietnamese, "Chúa" means [[God]] or [[Lord]] and "Chủ" means own). In German, Wednesday is called ''Mittwoch'', literally "mid-week", implying the week runs from Sunday to Saturday.

In the Yoruba culture of West Africa, Sunday is called ''Oj̣ó ̣Aikú''. Ojó Aiku is the day that begins a new week known as "Day of Rest". It is the day Orunmila, the convener of Ifá to earth, buried the mother of Esu Odara and his wife, Imi. Since that occurrence, Yoruba people decided to refer to the day as ''Ojó Aiku.''

[[Slavic languages]] implicitly number Monday as day number one. 
{| class="wikitable"
! 
! [[Polish language|Polish]]
! [[Slovak language|Slovak]]
! [[Czech language|Czech]]
! [[Ukrainian language|Ukrainian]]
! [[Belarusian language|Belarusian]]
! [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]]
! [[Russian language|Russian]]
! literal or derived meaning
|-
! Monday
| poniedziałek
| pondelok
| pondělí
| понеділок
| панядзелак 
| понеделник
| понедельник
| (day) after not working
|-
! Tuesday
| wtorek
| utorok
| úterý
| вівторок
| аўторак 
| вторник
| вторник
| second (day)
|-
! Wednesday 
| środa
| streda
| středa
| середа
| серада
| сряда
| среда
| middle (day)
|-
! Thursday 
| czwartek
| štvrtok
| čtvrtek
| четвер
| чацвер
| четвъртък
| четверг
| fourth (day) 
|-
! Friday 
| piątek
| piatok
| pátek
| п'ятниця
| пятніца
| петък
| пятница
| fifth (day)
|-
! Saturday
| sobota
| sobota
| sobota
| субота
| субота
| събота
| суббота
| sabbath
|-
! Sunday
| niedziela
| nedela 
| neděle 
| неділя
| нядзеля
| неделя
| воскресенье
| not working (day) 
|}
Russian ''воскресение'' (Sunday) means "resurrection".
[[Hungarian language|Hungarian]] ''szerda'' (Wednesday), ''csütörtök'' (Thursday), and ''péntek'' (Friday) are Slavic [[loanword]]s, so the correlation with "middle", "four", and "five" are not evident to Hungarian speakers. Hungarians use ''Vasárnap'' for Sunday, which means "market day".

In the [[Maltese language]], due to its [[Siculo-Arabic]] origin, Sunday is called ''Il-Ħadd'', a corruption of ''wieħed'', meaning "one". Monday is ''It-Tnejn'', meaning "two". Similarly, Tuesday is ''It-Tlieta'' (three), Wednesday is ''L-Erbgħa'' (four), and Thursday is ''Il-Ħamis'' (five).

In [[Armenian language|Armenian]], Monday is ''Yerkoushabti'', literally meaning "second day of the week", Tuesday ''Yerekshabti'' "third day", Wednesday ''Chorekshabti'' "fourth day", Thursday ''Hingshabti'' "fifth day". Saturday is ''Shabat'' coming from the word ''Sabbath'' or ''Shabbath'' in Hebrew, and ''Kiraki'', coming from the word ''Krak'', meaning "fire", is Sunday, referring to the sun as a fire. [[Apostle John]], in Revelations 1:10, refers to the "Lord's Day", {{langx|el|Κυριακή ἡμέρα}} (''kyriakḗ hēmera''), that is, "the day of the Lord", possibly influencing the Armenian word for Sunday.

In many European countries, calendars show Monday as the first day of the week,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/weekinfo.htm#TSW |title=Calendar Weeks |author=J. R. Stockton |access-date=2010-01-05 |archive-date=2014-01-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140113000828/http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/weekinfo.htm#TSW |url-status=dead }}</ref> which follows the [[ISO 8601]] standard.

In the [[Persian calendar]], used in Iran and Afghanistan, Sunday is the second day of the week. However, it is called "number one" as counting starts from zero; the first day - Saturday - is denoted as day zero.

<span id="Sunday_and_the_Sabbath"></span>

==Sunday in Christianity==

===Christian usage===
{{See also|Sabbath in Christianity}}

The ancient Romans traditionally used the eight-day [[Nundinae|nundinal cycle]], a market week, but in the time of [[Augustus]] in the 1st century AD, a seven-day week also came into use.

In [[the gospels]], the [[Women at the tomb|women are described as coming to the empty tomb]] "{{langx|grc|εις μια των σαββατων|label=none}}",<ref>Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:2</ref> which literally means "toward the first of the sabbath" and is often translated "on the first day of the week".

[[Justin Martyr]], in the mid-2nd century, mentions "memoirs of the apostles" as being read on "the day called that of the sun" (Sunday) alongside the "writings of the prophets."<ref name="ReferenceA">{{Citation | first = Justin | last = Martyr | title = [[First Apology]] | at = 67.3}}.</ref>

On 7 March 321, [[Constantine the Great|Constantine I]], Rome's first Christian emperor, decreed that Sunday would be observed as the Roman day of rest:<ref>
{{cite book
| last = Zerubavel
| first = Eviatar
| title = The Seven Day Circle: The History and Meaning of the Week
| publisher = University of Chicago Press
| date = 1989
| page = 45
| isbn = 9780226981659}}</ref>

{{blockquote|On the venerable Day of the Sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed. In the country, however, persons engaged in agriculture may freely and lawfully continue their pursuits; because it often happens that another day is not so suitable for grain-sowing or vine-planting; lest by neglecting the proper moment for such operations the bounty of heaven should be lost.<ref>Philip Schaff, [https://books.google.com/books?id=SgtOAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA380 ''History of the Christian Church: Vol. II: From Constantine the Great to Gregory the Great A.D. 311–600''] (New York: Charles Scribner, 1867) page 380 note 1.</ref>}}

Despite the official adoption of Sunday as a day of rest by Constantine, the seven-day week and the nundinal cycle continued to be used side by side until at least the [[Chronography of 354|Calendar of 354]] and probably later.<ref>[http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/chronography_of_354_06_calendar.htm The Chronography of 354, Part 6: The calendar of Philocalus] A–G is the seven day week and A–H is the nundinal cycle.</ref>

In 363, Canon 29 of the [[Council of Laodicea]] prohibited observance of the [[Jews|Jewish]] [[Sabbath]] (Saturday), and encouraged Christians to work on Saturday and rest on the Lord's Day (Sunday).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf214.viii.vii.iii.xxxiv.html |title=Canon 29 of the Council of Laodicea |publisher=Ccel.org |date=2005-06-01 |access-date=2011-12-16}}</ref> The fact that the canon had to be issued at all is an indication that adoption of Constantine's decree of 321 was still not universal, not even among Christians. It also indicates that Jews were observing the Sabbath on Saturday.

===Modern practices===
[[First-day Sabbatarian]]s, including Christians of the [[Methodism|Methodist]], [[Baptists|Baptist]] and [[Reformed Christianity|Reformed]] ([[Presbyterianism|Presbyterian]] and [[Congregationalism|Congregationalist]]) traditions, observe Sunday as the [[sabbath]], a day devoted to the worship of God at church (the attendance of [[Sunday School]], a [[Church service|service of worship]] in the morning and evening), as well as a day of rest (meaning that people are free from servile labour and should refrain from trading, buying and selling except when necessary).<ref name="Heyck2013">{{cite book|last=Heyck|first=Thomas|title=A History of the Peoples of the British Isles: From 1688 to 1914|date=27 September 2013|publisher=Taylor & Francis|language=English|isbn=9781134415205|page=251|quote=Yet the degree of overlap between the middle class and nonconformity-Baptists, Congregregationalists, Wesleyan Methodists, Quakers, Presbyterians, and Unitarians-was substantial. ... Most nonconformist denominations ...frowned on drink, dancing, and the theater, and they promoted Sabbatarianism (the policy of prohibiting trade and public recreation on Sundays). }}</ref><ref name="Roth2002">{{cite book|last=Roth|first=Randolph A.|title=The Democratic Dilemma: Religion, Reform, and the Social Order in the Connecticut River Valley of Vermont, 1791-1850|date=25 April 2002|publisher=Cambridge University Press|language=en|isbn=9780521317733|page=171|quote=Except for the strong support of Episcopalians in Windsor and Woodstock, the Sabbatarians found their appeal limited almost exclusively to Congregationalists and Presbyterians, some of whom did not fear state action on religious matters of interdenominational concern.}}</ref>

For most Christians the custom and obligation of Sunday rest is not as strict. A minority of Christians do not regard the day they attend church as important, so long as they attend. There is considerable variation in the observance of Sabbath rituals and restrictions, but some cessation of normal weekday activities is customary. Many Christians today observe Sunday as a day of church attendance.

In [[Roman Catholic]] liturgy, Sunday begins on Saturday evening. The evening Mass on Saturday is liturgically a full Sunday Mass and fulfills the obligation of Sunday Mass attendance, and [[Vespers]] (evening prayer) on Saturday night is liturgically "first Vespers" of the Sunday. The same evening anticipation applies to other major solemnities and feasts, and is an echo of the Jewish practice of starting the new day at sunset. Those who work in the medical field, in law enforcement, and soldiers in a war zone are dispensed from the usual obligation to attend church on Sunday. They are encouraged to combine their work with attending religious services if possible.{{citation needed|date=January 2023}}

In the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], Sunday begins at the [[Little Entrance]] of Vespers (or [[All-Night Vigil]]) on Saturday evening and runs until "[[Vouchsafe, O Lord]]" (after the "[[prokeimenon]]") of Vespers on Sunday night. During this time, the [[dismissal (liturgy)|dismissal]] at all services begin with the words, "May Christ our True God, who rose from the dead ...." Anyone who wishes to receive [[Holy Communion]] at [[Divine Liturgy]] on Sunday morning is required to attend Vespers the night before (see [[Eucharistic discipline]]). Among Orthodox Christians, Sunday is considered to be a "Little [[Easter|Pascha]]" (Easter), and because of the Paschal joy, the making of [[poklon|prostrations]] is forbidden, except in certain circumstances.

Some languages lack separate words for "Saturday" and "Sabbath" (e.g. Italian, Portuguese). Outside the English-speaking world, ''Sabbath'' as a word, if it is used, refers to the Saturday (or the specific Jewish practices on it); Sunday is called the Lord's Day e.g. in Romance languages and Modern Greek. On the other hand, English-speaking Christians often refer to the Sunday as the Sabbath (other than Seventh-day Sabbatarians); a practice which, probably due to the international connections and the Latin tradition of the Roman Catholic Church, is more widespread among (but not limited to) Protestants. [[Religious Society of Friends|Quakers]] traditionally referred to Sunday as "First Day" eschewing the [[paganism|pagan]] origin of the English name, while referring to Saturday as the "Seventh day".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://iymc.org/calendarnames.html |title=Guide to Quaker Calendar Names |author=<!--Not stated--> |publisher=Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative) Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) |access-date=30 March 2017 |quote=In the 20th Century, many Friends began accepting 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."}}</ref>

Some Christian denominations, called "[[Sabbath in seventh-day churches|Seventh-day Sabbatarians]]", observe a [[Saturday Sabbath]]. Christians in the [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Seventh-day Adventist]], [[Seventh Day Baptist]], and [[Church of God (disambiguation)#Sabbatarian Churches of God|Church of God]] (Seventh-Day) denominations, as well as many [[Messianic Jews]], have maintained the practice of abstaining from work and gathering for worship on Saturdays (sunset to sunset) as did all of the followers of God in the [[Old Testament]].

==Sunday in Mandaeism==
{{further|Mandaean calendar}}
Sunday in [[Mandaeism]] is called ''Habshaba'' (''Habšaba''). Mandaeans perform communal [[masbuta]] (baptism) every Sunday.<ref name="Buckley 2002">{{cite book|last=Buckley|first=Jorunn Jacobsen|title=The Mandaeans: ancient texts and modern people|publisher=Oxford University Press|publication-place=New York|year=2002|isbn=0-19-515385-5|oclc=65198443}}</ref>

==Common occurrences on Sunday==

===In government and business===
{{further|Sunday shopping}}
In the United States and Canada, most government offices are closed on both Saturday and Sunday. The practice of offices closing on Sunday in government and in some rural areas of the United States stem from a system of [[blue law]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-05-13 |title=America’s 'blue laws' once involved a lot more than just alcohol sales |url=https://www.khou.com/article/news/americas-blue-laws-once-involved-a-lot-more-than-just-alcohol-sales/285-7e2f11ca-18ee-4ebd-b6fc-0271287f0915 |access-date=2025-01-17 |website=khou.com |language=en-US}}</ref> Blue laws were established in the early puritan days, which forbade secular activities on Sunday and were rigidly enforced. Some public activities are still regulated by these blue laws in the 21st century.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/blue-law|title=Blue law {{!}} American history|work=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=2018-10-20|language=en}}</ref> In 1985, twenty-two states in which religious fundamentalism remained strong maintained general restrictions on Sunday behavior.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=BL014|title=Blue Laws {{!}} The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture|website=www.okhistory.org|language=en|access-date=2018-10-20}}</ref> In Oklahoma, for example, it is stated: "Oklahoma's statutes state that "acts deemed useless and serious interruptions of the repose and religious liberty of the community," such as trades, manufacturing, mechanical employment, horse racing, and gaming are forbidden. Public selling of commodities other than necessary foods and drinks, medicine, ice, and surgical and burial equipment, and other necessities can legally be prohibited on Sunday. In Oklahoma, a fine not to exceed twenty-five dollars may be imposed on individuals for each offense."<ref name=":0" /> Because of these blue laws, many private sector retail businesses open later and close earlier on Sunday or do not open at all.

Many countries, particularly in Europe such as Sweden, France, Germany and Belgium, but also in other countries such as [[Peru]], hold their national and local elections on a Sunday, either by law or by tradition.

===In media===
Many American and British daily newspapers publish a larger edition on Sundays, which often includes color comic strips, a magazine, and a coupon section. Others only publish on a Sunday, or have a "sister paper" with a different masthead that only publishes on a Sunday.

North American radio stations often play specialty radio shows such as [[Casey Kasem]]'s countdown or other nationally syndicated radio shows that may differ from their regular weekly music patterns on Sunday morning or Sunday evening. In the United Kingdom, there is a Sunday tradition of chart shows on [[BBC Radio 1]] and [[Independent Local Radio|commercial radio]]; this originates in the broadcast of chart shows and other populist material on Sundays by [[Radio Luxembourg (English)|Radio Luxembourg]] when the [[John Reith, 1st Baron Reith|Reithian]] [[BBC]]'s Sunday output consisted largely of solemn and religious programmes.  The first Sunday chart show was broadcast on the [[BBC Light Programme|Light Programme]] on 7 January 1962,<ref>[http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/b7556e5ed91d41a589b75dfe03b2c3f0 BBC Genome Project - Radio Times listings]</ref> which was considered a radical step at the time.  BBC Radio 1's chart show moved to Fridays in July 2015<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-32019327|title=Radio 1 chart show moving to Friday afternoons|first=Mark|last=Savage|work=BBC News |date=24 March 2015|access-date=30 December 2016}}</ref> but a chart update on Sundays was launched in July 2019.<ref>[http://www.musicweek.com/media/read/bbc-radio-1-to-launch-first-glance-sunday-chart-show-this-week/076743 Music Week website, 10 July 2019]</ref>

Period or older-skewing television dramas, such as ''[[Downton Abbey]]'', ''[[Call the Midwife]]'', ''[[Lark Rise to Candleford (TV series)|Lark Rise to Candleford]]'' and ''[[Heartbeat (UK TV series)|Heartbeat]]'' are commonly shown on Sunday evenings in the UK; the first of these was ''[[Dr Finlay's Casebook]]'' in the 1960s.<ref>''The Kaleidoscope British Independent Television Drama Research Guide 1955-2010'' and ''The Kaleidoscope BBC Television Drama Research Guide 1936-2011'', [[Kaleidoscope Publishing]]</ref>  Similarly, ''[[Antiques Roadshow]]'' has been shown on Sundays on [[BBC One|BBC1]] since 1979<ref>{{cite web|url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/0/20?adv=0&q=Antiques%20Roadshow&media=all&yf=1923&yt=2009&mf=1&mt=12&tf=00:00&tt=00:00#search|title=Search Results - BBC Genome|access-date=30 December 2016}}</ref> and ''[[Last of the Summer Wine]]'' was shown on Sundays for many years until it ended in 2010.<ref>''The British Television Comedy Research Guide 1936-2011'', [[Kaleidoscope Publishing]], 2011</ref> On Sundays, [[BBC Radio 2]] plays music in styles which it once regularly played but which are now rarely heard on the station, with programmes such as ''[[Elaine Paige]] on Sunday''<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001550s BBC Radio 2 website - Elaine Paige show from 13 March 2022]</ref> and ''[[Sunday Night is Music Night]]''<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0015l39 BBC Radio 2 website - Sunday Night is Music Night for 27 March 2022]</ref> although more contemporary styles now make up a higher percentage of the station's Sunday output than previously; for example, [[Kendrick Lamar]] received a Sunday-night play on the station in March 2022.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0015c1g BBC Radio 2 website - My Life in a Mixtape, 20 March 2022]</ref> Even younger-skewing media outlets sometimes skew older on Sundays within the terms of their own audience; for example, [[BBC Radio 1Xtra]] introduced an "Old Skool Sunday" schedule in the autumn of 2019.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2019/1xtra-schedule BBC press release, 5 August 2019]</ref>

Many American, Australian and British television networks and stations also broadcast their [[Sunday morning talk shows|political interview shows]] on Sunday mornings.

===In sports===
{{Unreferenced section|date=January 2014}}
[[File:Eagles Howard and Thomas pointing.jpg|thumb|270px|In the United States, National Football League games are usually played on Sunday]]
[[Major League Baseball]] usually schedules all Sunday games in the daytime except for the nationally televised ''[[Sunday Night Baseball]]'' matchup. Certain historically religious cities such as [[Boston]] and [[Baltimore]] among others will schedule games no earlier than 1:35 PM to ensure time for people who go to religious service in the morning can get to the game in time.

In the United States, professional [[American football]] in the [[National Football League]] is usually played on Sunday, although Saturday (via ''[[Run to the Playoffs|Saturday Night Football]]''), Monday (via ''[[Monday Night Football]]''), and Thursday (via ''[[Run to the Playoffs|Thursday Night Football]]'' or [[Thanksgiving (United States)|Thanksgiving]]) see some professional games. [[College football]] usually occurs on Saturday, and [[high school football|high-school football]] tends to take place on Friday night or Saturday afternoon.

In the UK, some [[Club (organization)|club]] and [[Premier League]] football matches and tournaments usually take place on Sundays. [[Rugby football|Rugby]] matches and tournaments usually take place in club grounds or parks on Sunday mornings. It is not uncommon for church attendance to shift on days when a late morning or early afternoon game is anticipated by a local community.

The [[Indian Premier League]] schedules two games on Saturdays and Sundays instead of one, also called Double-headers.

One of the remains of [[pillarisation|religious segregation in the Netherlands]] is seen in [[Hoofdklasse|amateur football]]: The Saturday-clubs are by and large [[Protestantism in the Netherlands|Protestant Christian]] clubs, who were not allowed to play on Sunday. The Sunday-clubs were in general [[Catholicism in the Netherlands|Catholic]] and working class clubs, whose players had to work on Saturday and therefore could only play on Sunday.

In Ireland, [[Gaelic football]] and [[hurling]] matches are predominantly played on Sundays, with the first (previously second) and fourth (previously third) Sundays in September always playing host to the All-Ireland hurling and football championship finals, respectively.

Professional [[golf]] tournaments traditionally end on Sunday. Traditionally, those in the United Kingdom ended on Saturday, but this changed some time ago; for example, the [[Open Championship|Open]] ran from Wednesday to Saturday up to 1979<ref>[http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/d4d2f847153343079994435985ac03aa Radio Times listing - Wednesday 18 July 1979]</ref> but has run from Thursday to Sunday since 1980.<ref>[http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/af9a92015e214b3cb57a66869c49dd24 Radio Times listing - Sunday 20 July 1980]</ref>

In the United States and Canada, [[National Basketball Association]] and [[National Hockey League]] games, which are usually played at night during the week, are frequently played during daytime hours - often broadcast on national television.

Most [[NASCAR Cup Series]] and [[IndyCar Series|IndyCar]] events are held on Sundays. Most [[Formula One World Championship]] races are likewise held on Sundays regardless of time zone/country, while [[MotoGP]] holds most races on Sundays, with Middle Eastern races being the exception on Saturday. All Formula One events and MotoGP events with Sunday races involve qualifying taking place on Saturday.

==Astrology==
Sunday is associated with the Sun and is symbolized by the symbol '''<big>☉</big>'''.

==Named days==
* [[Advent Sunday]]
* [[Black Sunday (disambiguation)|Black Sunday]]
* [[Bloody Sunday (disambiguation)|Bloody Sunday]]
* [[Cold Sunday]]
* [[Easter Sunday]] represents the resurrection of Christ
* [[Gaudete Sunday]] is the third Sunday of [[Advent]].
* [[Gloomy Sunday]]
* [[Fourth Sunday of Easter|Good Shepherd Sunday]] is the fourth Sunday of Easter.
* [[Laetare Sunday]] is the fourth Sunday of [[Lent]].
* [[Octave of Easter|Low Sunday]], first Sunday after Easter, is also known as the Octave of Easter, White Sunday, Quasimodo Sunday, Alb Sunday, Antipascha Sunday, and [[Divine Mercy Sunday]].
* [[Passion Sunday]], the fifth Sunday of [[Lent]] as the beginning of [[Passiontide]] (since 1970 for Roman Catholics in the ordinary form of the rite, the term remains only official among the greater title of the Palm Sunday, which used to be also the "2nd Sunday of Passiontide")
* [[Palm Sunday]] is the Sunday before Easter.
* [[Selection Sunday]]
* [[Septuagesima]], [[Sexagesima]] and [[Quinquagesima]] Sunday are the last three Sundays before [[Lent]]. ''Quinquagesima'' ("fiftieth"), is the fiftieth day before Easter, reckoning inclusively; but ''Sexagesima'' is not the sixtieth day and ''Septuagesima'' is not the seventieth but is the sixty-fourth day prior. The use of these terms was abandoned by the Catholic Church in the 1970 calendar reforms (the Sundays before Lent are now simply "Sundays in ordinary time" with no special status). However, their use is still continued in [[Lutheran]] tradition: for example, "Septuagesimae".
* [[Shavuot]] is the Jewish Pentecost, or 'Festival of Weeks'. For [[Karaite Jews]] it always falls on a Sunday.
* [[Stir-up Sunday]] is the last Sunday before [[Advent]].
* [[Super Bowl|Super Bowl Sunday]]
* [[Trinity Sunday]] is the first Sunday after [[Pentecost]].
* [[Whitsun]]day "White Sunday" is the day of [[Pentecost]].

== In pop culture ==

=== Music ===

* [[A Sunday Kind of Love]] is a 1946 jazz standard first recorded by [[Claude Thornhill]].
* [[Sunday Morning (The Velvet Underground song)|Sunday Morning]] is a 1966 song by American rock band [[The Velvet Underground]].
* [[Sunday Morning (Maroon 5 song)|Sunday Morning]] is a 2004 song by American pop rock band [[Maroon 5]].
* [[Sunday Best (Surfaces song)|Sunday Best]] is a 2019 song by American [[Electropop|electro-pop]] duo [[Surfaces (band)|Surfaces]]

==See also==
* [[After Saturday Comes Sunday]] 
* [[Kyriaki (martyr)|Saint Kyriakē]]
* [[Sol Invictus]]
* [[Sunday Christian]]
* [[Sunday (computer virus)]]
* [[Sunday league football]]
* [[Sunday roast]]
* [[Sunday scaries]]
* [[Sunday shopping]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
* [[Robert Barnhart|Barnhart, Robert K.]] (1995). ''The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology''. [[HarperCollins]]. {{ISBN|0-06-270084-7}}

==Further reading==
* Bacchiocchi, Samuele. ''From Sabbath to Sunday: a historical investigation of the rise of Sunday observance in early Christianity'' (Pontifical Gregorian University, 1977)
* Cotton, John Paul. ''From Sabbath to Sunday: a study in early Christianity'' (1933)
* Kraft, Robert A. "Some Notes on Sabbath Observance in Early Christianity." ''Andrews University Seminary Studies'' (1965) 3: 18–33. [http://www.andrews.edu/library/car/cardigital/Periodicals/AUSS/1965-1/1965-1-03.pdf online]
* Land, Gary. ''Historical Dictionary of the Seventh-day Adventists'' (Rowman & Littlefield, 2014)
* González, Justo. "A Brief History of Sunday: From the New Testament to the New Creation" (Eerdmans, 2017)

==External links==
{{sisterlinks|d=Q132|c=Category:Sunday|n=no|b=no|v=no|voy=no|m=no|mw=no|s=no|wikt=no|species=no}}
*{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Sunday |short=x}}
*{{Cite NIE|wstitle=Sunday|year=1905 |short=x}}

{{Days of the week}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Sunday| ]]
[[Category:Days of the week|7 Sunday]]
[[Category:Christian Sunday observances]]
[[Category:Helios]]