Saturday

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Saturday is the day of the week between Friday and Sunday. No later than the 2nd century, the Romans named Saturday {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ("Saturn's Day") for the god Saturn. His planet, Saturn, controlled the first hour of that day, according to Vettius Valens.<ref name=days>Template:Citation</ref><ref name=VettiusValens>Template:Citation</ref> The day's name was introduced into West Germanic languages and is recorded in the Low German languages such as Middle Low German {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, saterdach, Middle Dutch {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Modern Dutch {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), and Old English {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, Sæterndæġ or {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

OriginsEdit

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File:Saturn.png
Saturday is named after the planet Saturn, which in turn was named after the Roman god Saturn

Between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD, the Roman Empire gradually replaced the eight-day Roman nundinal cycle with the seven-day week. The astrological order of the days was explained by Vettius Valens and Dio Cassius (and Chaucer gave the same explanation in his Treatise on the Astrolabe). According to these authors, it was a principle of astrology that the heavenly bodies presided, in succession, over the hours of the day. The association of the weekdays with the respective deities is thus indirect, the days are named for the planets, which were in turn named for the deities.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

The Germanic peoples adapted the system introduced by the Romans but glossed their indigenous gods over the Roman deities in a process known as interpretatio germanica. In the case of Saturday, however, the Roman name was borrowed directly by West Germanic peoples, apparently because none of the Germanic gods was considered to be a counterpart of the Roman god Saturn.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Otherwise Old Norse and Old High German did not borrow the name of the Roman god (Icelandic {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, German {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}).

In the Eastern Orthodox Church, Saturdays are days on which the Theotokos (Mother of God) and All Saints are commemorated, and the day on which prayers for the dead are especially offered, in remembrance that it was on a Saturday that Jesus lay dead in the tomb. The Octoechos contains hymns on these themes, arranged in an eight-week cycle, that are chanted on Saturdays throughout the year. At the end of services on Saturday, the dismissal begins with the words: "May Christ our True God, through the intercessions of his most-pure Mother, of the holy, glorious and right victorious Martyrs, of our reverend and God-bearing Fathers…". For the Orthodox, Saturday — with the sole exception of Holy Saturday — is never a strict fast day. When a Saturday falls during one of the fasting seasons (Great Lent, Nativity Fast, Apostles' Fast, Dormition Fast) the fasting rules are always lessened to an extent. The Great Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross and the Beheading of St. John the Baptist are normally observed as strict fast days, but if they fall on a Saturday or Sunday, the fast is lessened.

Name and associationsEdit

Today, Saturday has two names in modern Standard German. The first word, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, is always used in Austria, Liechtenstein, and the German-speaking part of Switzerland, and generally used in southern and western Germany. It derives from Old High German {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, the first part (sambaz) of which derives from Greek {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, Template:Transliteration and this Greek word derives from Hebrew {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, Template:Transliteration. However, the current German word for Sabbath is {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}. The second name for Saturday in German is {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, which derives from Old High German {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, and is closely related to the Old English word {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}. It means literally "Sun eve", i.e., "The day before Sunday". {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} is generally used in northern and eastern Germany, and was also the official name for Saturday in East Germany. Even if these two names are used regionally differently, they are usually understood at least passively in the other part.

In West Frisian there are also two words for Saturday. In Wood Frisian it is {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, and in Clay Frisian it is {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, derived from {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, a combination of Old Frisian {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, meaning sun and joen, meaning eve.

In the Westphalian dialects of Low Saxon, in East Frisian Low Saxon and in the Saterland Frisian language, Saturday is called {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, also akin to Dutch {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, which has the same linguistic roots as the English word Saturday. It was formerly thought that the English name referred to a deity named Sætere who was venerated by the pre-Christian peoples of north-western Germany, some of whom were the ancestors of the Anglo-Saxons. Sætere was identified as either a god associated with the harvest of possible Slav origin,<ref>Palgrave, Francis, History of the Anglo-Saxons (1876), William Tegg & Co., London p.43</ref> or another name for Loki<ref>Couzens, Reginald C., The Stories of the Months and Days (1923), ch.22</ref> a complex deity associated with both good and evil; this latter suggestion may be due to Jacob Grimm.<ref>Grimm, Jacob, Teutonic Mythology (1835), translated by James Steven Stallybrass in 1882 from Deutsche Mythologie, George Bell, London, p. 247.</ref> Regardless,modern dictionaries derive the name from Saturn.<ref>"Saturday", Oxford English Dictionary, Third Edition (2008).</ref><ref>"Saturday", Merriam-Webster Dictionary (2013).</ref><ref>"Saturday", American Heritage Dictionary, Fifth Edition (2011).</ref><ref>"Saturday". Online Etymology Dictionary, accessed 2013.</ref>

In most languages of India, Saturday is {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} meaning day, based on Shani, the Hindu god manifested in the planet Saturn. Some Hindus fast on Saturdays to reverse the ill effects of Shani as well as pray to and worship the deity Hanuman.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In the Thai solar calendar of Thailand, the day is named from the Pali word for Saturn, and the color associated with Saturday is purple.<ref>Segaller, Denis (2005). Thai Ways. Bangkok: Silkworm Books. ISBN 9781628400083.</ref> In Pakistan, Saturday is {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, meaning the week. In Eastern Indian languages like Bengali Saturday is called {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, Template:Transliteration meaning Saturn's Day and is the first day of the Bengali Week in the Bengali calendar. In Islamic countries, Fridays are considered as the last or penultimate day of the week and are holidays along with Thursdays or Saturdays; Saturday is called {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, Template:Transliteration (cognate to Sabbath) and it is the first day of the week in many Arab countries but is the (second-to-)last day in other Islamic countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, and Central Asian countries.

In Japanese, the word Saturday is {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, Template:Transliteration, meaning 'soil day' and is associated with {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, Template:Transliteration: Saturn (the planet), literally meaning "soil star". Similarly, in Korean the word Saturday is {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, Template:Transliteration, also meaning earth day. The element Earth was associated with the planet Saturn in Chinese astrology and philosophy.

The modern Māori name for Saturday, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, literally means "washing-day" – a vestige of early colonized life when Māori converts would set aside time on the Saturday to wash their whites for Church on Sunday.<ref>Rāhoroi - Saturday, Kupu o te Rā</ref> A common alternative Māori name for Saturday is the transliteration {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}.

Quakers traditionally referred to Saturday as "Seventh Day", eschewing the "pagan" origin of the name.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In Scandinavian countries, Saturday is called {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, or {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, the name being derived from the old word laugr/laug (hence Icelandic name {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), meaning bath, thus Lördag equates to bath-day. This is due to the Viking practice of bathing on Saturdays.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The roots lör, laugar and so forth are cognate to the English word lye, in the sense of detergent. The Finnish and Estonian names for the day, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} and {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, respectively, are also derived from this term.

Position in the weekEdit

Template:See also The international standard ISO 8601 sets Saturday as the sixth day of the week.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The three Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) regard Saturday as the seventh day of the week. As a result, many refused the ISO 8601 standards and continue to use Saturday as their seventh day.

Saturday SabbathEdit

Template:See also For Jews, Messianics, Seventh Day Baptists and Seventh-day Adventists, the seventh day of the week, known as Shabbat (or Sabbath for Seventh-day Adventists), stretches from sundown Friday to nightfall Saturday and is the day of rest. Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches distinguish between Saturday (Sabbath) and the Lord's Day (Sunday). Other Protestant groups, such as Seventh-day Adventists, hold that the Lord's Day is the Sabbath, according to the fourth commandment (Exodus 20:8), and not Sunday.

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But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work.{{#if:Exodus 20:10 King James Version|{{#if:|}}

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Holy SaturdayEdit

Christian religious observance in the Holy Week, before Easter Sunday.

Catholic liturgy and devotions on each SaturdayEdit

In the Catholic Church, Saturday is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In the Catholic devotion of the Holy Rosary, the Joyful Mysteries are meditated on Saturday and also on Monday throughout the year.

AstrologyEdit

Template:Main article In astrology, Saturn is associated with Saturday, its planet's symbol File:Saturn symbol (fixed width).svg, and the astrological signs Capricorn and Aquarius.

In popular cultureEdit

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Regional customsEdit

  • In most countries, Saturday is a weekend day (see workweek).
  • In Australia, elections must take place on a Saturday.<ref name="Australia Electoral Act">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • In Israel, Saturday is the official day of rest,<ref name="Basic Law Israel">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> on which all government offices and most businesses, including some public transportation, are closed.

  • In Nepal, Saturday is the last day of the week and is the only official weekly holiday.<ref name="BharatOnline Holidays in Nepal">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • In New Zealand, Saturday is the only day on which elections can be held.<ref name="New Zealand Electoral Act 1993">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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SlangEdit

  • The amount of criminal activities that take place on Saturday nights has led to the expression, "Saturday night special", a pejorative slang term used in the United States and Canada for any inexpensive handgun.

Arts, entertainment, and mediaEdit

Comics and periodicalsEdit

FilmsEdit

Folk rhymes and folkloreEdit

  • In the folk rhyme Monday's Child, "Saturday's child works hard for a living".
  • In another rhyme reciting the days of the week, Solomon Grundy "Died on Saturday".
  • In folklore, Saturday was the preferred day to hunt vampires, because on that day they were restricted to their coffins. It was also believed in the Balkans that someone born on Saturday could see a vampire when it was otherwise invisible, and that such people were particularly apt to become vampire hunters.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=dimitr>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> Accordingly, in this context, people born on Saturday were specially designated as {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} in Greek<ref name=summers>Template:Cite journal In Template:Cite book</ref> and {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} in Bulgarian;<ref name=dimitr/> the term has been rendered in English as "Sabbatarians".<ref name=summers/>

MusicEdit

Groups
Songs

TelevisionEdit

Video gamesEdit

SportsEdit

See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

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External linksEdit

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