Friday: Frigg's and Freya's Day
Friday is the fifth day of the week according to the international standard ISO 8601 and is considered the last working day of the week in most western countries.
Norse goddess Frigg.
JeffreyThompson©bigstockphoto.com
Friday comes after Thursday and before Saturday in our modern-day Gregorian Calendar.
Naming Friday
The English name Friday is derived from Old English and means “day of Frigg,” the Norse goddess of fertility and love, who is often perceived as the same deity as Freya.
Venus' Day
In most languages with Latin origins, the day is named after the fertility goddess and planet Venus, like Italian venerdi and French vendredi.
- Middle English – Fridai
- Latin – dies Veneris – Day of Venus
- Old English – frigedæg – Frigg's day
- Old Norse – frjádagr
- Ancient Greek – hemera Aphrodites – Day of Aphrodite
Position in the Week
According to international standard ISO 8601, Friday is the fifth day of the week. In Slavic languages, they call Friday the “fifth day,” while the Portuguese use the word “sexta-feira,” meaning the “sixth day of a liturgical celebration.”
What is the first day of the week?
Unlucky or Lucky?
In some cultures, superstition considers Friday an unlucky day to begin a voyage. However, Friday is regarded as a lucky day for sowing the seed.
Friday the 13th is considered to be very unlucky because of its association with the unlucky number thirteen. It usually occurs one to three times a year, and some refer to this date as Black Friday, not to be confused with the commercial Black Friday in November.
Long weekends and bank holidays
Peace and Prayer
In Christianity, Good Friday is the Friday before Easter that commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus. The Eastern Orthodox Church, every Friday is a fasting day, when people abstain from meat, poultry, and dairy products, although fish is permitted.
In Islam, Friday is a day of general peace for Muslims. It is also a special prayer day called Salat AlJumu'ah.
Day of Rest
In Hinduism, special observances are practiced for goddesses, mainly Durga/Parvati/Gowri on Friday. The Jewish Sabbath begins at sunset on Friday and lasts until nightfall on Saturday.
TGIF & POETS Day
Casual Friday (also called Dress-down Friday or Aloha Friday) is a relaxation of the formal dress code employed by some corporations for that one day of the week.
POETS Day is a term used on Fridays by workers in the United Kingdom and Australia that refers to the last day of the workweek. It commonly stands for “Piss Off Early Tomorrow's Saturday”. Another expression is TGIF, short for “Thank Goodness It's Friday”