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'''Saturday''' ({{IPAEng|ˈsætɚdeɪ, ˈsætɚdi, ˈsætədeɪ, ˈsætədi}} {{audio|En-us-Saturday.ogg|Listen}}) is the day of the week between ] and ]. Saturday is considered either the sixth or seventh ].

It was named no later than the second century for the planet (]), which controlled the first hour of that day according to ]. The planet was named for the ] god of agriculture ]. It has been called ''dies Saturni'' ("Saturn's Day"), through which form it entered into Old English as ''Sæternesdæg'' and gradually evolved into the word "Saturday".

Saturday is the only ] in which the English name comes from ]. The English names of all of the other days of the week come from ]. In ], Saturday is ], based on ], the ] God manifested in the planet Saturn. In the ] of ], the day is named from the ] word for Saturn, and the color associated with Saturday is ]. The ] also name this day for Saturn: ] ''an Satharn'' or ''dia Sathuirn'', ] ''Disathairne'', ] ''dydd Sadwrn'', ] ''Sadorn'' or ''disadorn''.

In ] Law Saturday is the seventh day ]. Thus, in many languages the Saturday is named after the Sabbath. ] churches distinguish between the Sabbath (Saturday) and the ] (Sunday). Roman Catholics put so little emphasis on that distinction that many among them follow – at least in colloquial language – the ] practice of calling Sunday the sabbath (see ]). ] traditionally refer to Saturday as "Seventh Day" eschewing the "]" origin of the name. In ], Fridays are holidays, however they are considered as the sixth day of the week.

In the ] Saturdays are days on which the ] (]) and ] are commemorated, The day is also a general day of ], because it was on a Saturday that Jesus lay dead in the ]. The ] 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 ] begins with the words: "May Christ our True God, through the ]s of his most-pure Mother, of the holy, glorious and right victorious ]s, of our reverend and God-bearing ]…". For the Orthodox, Saturday is never a strict ]. When a Saturday falls during one of the fasting seasons (], ], ], ]) the fasting rules are always lessened to an extent. The ] of the ] and the ] are normally observed as strict fast days, but if they fall on a Saturday or Sunday, the fast is lessened.

In ]n countries, Saturday is called ''Lördag'' or ''Laurdag'', the name being derived from the old word '']/laug'' (hence ] name ''Laugardagur''), meaning bath, thus ''Lördag'' equates to bath-day. This is due to the ] usage of bathing on Saturdays.

Today, Saturday is officially called ''Samstag'' in all ]-speaking countries, however, there are two names for this day in modern ]. ''Samstag'' is always used in ], ], the German speaking part of ] and generally used in southern and western ]. It derives from ] ''sambaztac'', which itself derives from ] ''Σάββατο'', and this Greek word derives from ] ''שבת'' (]). However, the current German word for sabbath is ''Sabbat''. The second name for Saturday in German is ''Sonnabend'', which derives from Old High German ''sunnunaband'', and is closely related to the ] word ''sunnanæfen''. It means literally "Sun eve", i.e. "The day before Sunday". ''Sonnabend'' is generally used in northern and eastern Germany, and was also the official name for Saturday in ]. In the ]n dialects of ], in ] and in the ], Saturday is called ''Satertag'', also akin to ] ''Zaterdag'', which has the same linguistic roots as the English word Saturday.

Similarly, the ] follow the ] usage, so that their word for "Saturday" is also a variation on "Sabbath": the ] is ''sabato,'' the ] is ''samedi,'' the ] and ] is ''sábado'' and the ] is ''sâmbătă.''

The modern ] name for it, Rahoroi, means "washing-day". For other languages, see ].

== Position in the week ==
The three ], via their original languages, regard Saturday as the seventh ] (] via ], ] via ], and ] via ]) by naming Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday as the second through sixth days of the week. This is concordant with the European ] tradition, which named the days of the week after the seven ] (in order ], ], ], ], ], ], ]), naming the first day of the week for the Sun, perceived as most important, and moving to those perceived as lesser.

All ] derive their name for Saturday from ] (e.g. Czech/Slovak/Polish: '''sobota'''; Russian: '''суббота''', ''subbota''; Serbian/Ukrainian: '''субота''', ''subota'') due to the pre-Christian belief that Saturday is the day of the dead and thus spent in silence and not named.

A similar numbering trend is also exhibited by the ].

Beginning in the twentieth century, many Europeans have considered Saturday the sixth (penultimate) day of the week, and Sunday the last.{{Fact|date=June 2007}} This current European ]-oriented convention has been formalized by ] which is used by businesses such as airlines in drawing up timetables, etc.

==Activities==
*Saturday is the official day of rest in ], on which all government offices and most businesses, including some public transportation, are closed
*Saturday is the usual day for elections in ] and the only day in ] on which elections can be held, and also the preferred election day in the US state of ].
*In many countries where Sundays are holidays, Saturday is part of the ], and is traditionally a day of relaxation.
*] is a notable television time block aimed at children while airing generally animated ].
* Many parties are held on Saturdays, because it precedes Sunday, another day of rest and there's no work. It is common for clubs, bars and restaurants to be open later on Saturday night than on other nights. Thus "Saturday Night" has come to imply the party scene, and has lent its name to the films '']'', which showcased ] ]s, '']'', as well as many songs (see below).
* Saturday night is also a popular time slot for comedy shows on television. The most famous of these is '']'', a skit show that has aired on NBC nearly every week since 1975. Other notable examples include '']''. This practise lent its name to the film '']'', starring ].
*In folklore, Saturday was the preferred day to hunt ], because on that day they were restricted to their coffins. It was also believed in the ] that someone born on Saturday could see a vampire when it was otherwise invisible, and that such people were particularly apt to become ]s.<ref>{{cite book|author=McClelland, Bruce A.|title=Slayers and Their Vampires: A Cultural History of Killing the Dead|publisher=]|date=2006|pages=62-79|isbn=9780472069231}}</ref><ref name=dimitr>{{cite web|author=Димитрова, Иваничка|date=1983|title=Българска народна митология|url=http://umotvorenia.bgrod.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=132&Itemid=46|language=Bulgarian}}</ref> Accordingly, in this context, people born on Saturday were specially designated as ''sabbatianoí'' in ]<ref name=summers>{{cite book|author=Abbott, George F.|date=1903|title=Macedonian Folklore|pages=221-222}} In {{cite book|author=Summers, Montague|origyear=1929|title=The Vampire: His Kith and Kin|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=fpaCCyGuMqwC&pg=PA36&lpg=PA36|date=2008|publisher=Forgotten Books|page=36}}</ref> and ''sâbotnichavi'' in ]<ref name=dimitr/>; the term has been rendered in English as "]s".<ref name=summers/>
*The amount of criminal activities that take place on Saturday nights has led to the expression, ] a ] ] term used in the United States and Canada for any inexpensive handgun.
*The ] ] is traditionally held on the last Saturday in September. Saturday afternoon (2:10pm) is also the traditional timeslot for an Australian Rules football match, although modern television schedules and other factors mean there are now many other timeslots in which games are played as well as on Saturday afternoons.
*A large majority of football league games are played in the UK on a Saturday.
*In ], ] the Holiday 'Good Saturday' is celebrated by everybody giving a cake to each other

==Saturday in popular culture==
*In the folk rhyme '']'', "Saturday's child works hard for a living".
*'']'' is a single-panel ] by ].
* '']''
*'']''
*] from the album ].

==See also==
*]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Days_of_the_week}}

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Revision as of 04:26, 3 May 2009

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Saturday" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (December 2008) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
For other uses, see Saturday (disambiguation).
Saturnus, Caravaggio, 16th c.

Saturday (/ˈsætɚdeɪ, ˈsætɚdi, ˈsætədeɪ, ˈsætədi/ Listen) is the day of the week between Friday and Sunday. Saturday is considered either the sixth or seventh day of the week.

It was named no later than the second century for the planet (Saturn), which controlled the first hour of that day according to Vettius Valens. The planet was named for the Roman god of agriculture Saturn. It has been called dies Saturni ("Saturn's Day"), through which form it entered into Old English as Sæternesdæg and gradually evolved into the word "Saturday".

Saturday is the only day of the week in which the English name comes from Roman mythology. The English names of all of the other days of the week come from Germanic polytheism. In India, Saturday is Shanivar, based on Shani, the Vedic God manifested in the planet Saturn. 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. The Celtic languages also name this day for Saturn: Irish an Satharn or dia Sathuirn, Scottish Gaelic Disathairne, Welsh dydd Sadwrn, Breton Sadorn or disadorn.

In Jewish Law Saturday is the seventh day Shabbat. Thus, in many languages the Saturday is named after the Sabbath. Eastern Orthodox churches distinguish between the Sabbath (Saturday) and the Lord's Day (Sunday). Roman Catholics put so little emphasis on that distinction that many among them follow – at least in colloquial language – the Protestant practice of calling Sunday the sabbath (see Sabbath in Christianity). Quakers traditionally refer to Saturday as "Seventh Day" eschewing the "pagan" origin of the name. In Islamic countries, Fridays are holidays, however they are considered as the sixth day of the week.

In the Eastern Orthodox Church Saturdays are days on which the Theotokos (Mother of God) and All Saints are commemorated, The day is also a general day of prayer for the dead, because 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 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.

In Scandinavian countries, Saturday is called Lördag or Laurdag, the name being derived from the old word laugr/laug (hence Icelandic name Laugardagur), meaning bath, thus Lördag equates to bath-day. This is due to the Viking usage of bathing on Saturdays.

Today, Saturday is officially called Samstag in all German-speaking countries, however, there are two names for this day in modern Standard German. Samstag is always used in Austria, Liechtenstein, the German speaking part of Switzerland and generally used in southern and western Germany. It derives from Old High German sambaztac, which itself derives from Greek Σάββατο, and this Greek word derives from Hebrew שבת (Shabbat). However, the current German word for sabbath is Sabbat. The second name for Saturday in German is Sonnabend, which derives from Old High German sunnunaband, and is closely related to the Old English word sunnanæfen. It means literally "Sun eve", i.e. "The day before Sunday". Sonnabend is generally used in northern and eastern Germany, and was also the official name for Saturday in East Germany. In the Westphalian dialects of Low Saxon, in East Frisian Low Saxon and in the Saterland Frisian language, Saturday is called Satertag, also akin to Dutch Zaterdag, which has the same linguistic roots as the English word Saturday.

Similarly, the Romance languages follow the Greek usage, so that their word for "Saturday" is also a variation on "Sabbath": the Italian is sabato, the French is samedi, the Spanish and Portuguese is sábado and the Romanian is sâmbătă.

The modern Maori name for it, Rahoroi, means "washing-day". For other languages, see Days of the week Planetary table.

Position in the week

The three Abrahamic religions, via their original languages, regard Saturday as the seventh day of the week (Judaism via Hebrew, Christianity via Ecclesiastical Latin, and Islam via Arabic) by naming Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday as the second through sixth days of the week. This is concordant with the European Pagan tradition, which named the days of the week after the seven Classical planets (in order Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn), naming the first day of the week for the Sun, perceived as most important, and moving to those perceived as lesser.

All Slavic languages derive their name for Saturday from Abrahamic tradition (e.g. Czech/Slovak/Polish: sobota; Russian: суббота, subbota; Serbian/Ukrainian: субота, subota) due to the pre-Christian belief that Saturday is the day of the dead and thus spent in silence and not named.

A similar numbering trend is also exhibited by the Baltic languages.

Beginning in the twentieth century, many Europeans have considered Saturday the sixth (penultimate) day of the week, and Sunday the last. This current European labour-oriented convention has been formalized by ISO 8601 which is used by businesses such as airlines in drawing up timetables, etc.

Activities

  • Saturday is the official day of rest in Israel, on which all government offices and most businesses, including some public transportation, are closed
  • Saturday is the usual day for elections in Australia and the only day in New Zealand on which elections can be held, and also the preferred election day in the US state of Louisiana.
  • In many countries where Sundays are holidays, Saturday is part of the weekend, and is traditionally a day of relaxation.
  • Saturday morning is a notable television time block aimed at children while airing generally animated cartoons.
  • Many parties are held on Saturdays, because it precedes Sunday, another day of rest and there's no work. It is common for clubs, bars and restaurants to be open later on Saturday night than on other nights. Thus "Saturday Night" has come to imply the party scene, and has lent its name to the films Saturday Night Fever, which showcased New York discotheques, Uptown Saturday Night, as well as many songs (see below).
  • Saturday night is also a popular time slot for comedy shows on television. The most famous of these is Saturday Night Live, a skit show that has aired on NBC nearly every week since 1975. Other notable examples include Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell. This practise lent its name to the film Mr. Saturday Night, starring Billy Crystal.
  • 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. Accordingly, in this context, people born on Saturday were specially designated as sabbatianoí in Greek and sâbotnichavi in Bulgarian; the term has been rendered in English as "Sabbatarians".
  • 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.
  • The Australian Football League Grand Final is traditionally held on the last Saturday in September. Saturday afternoon (2:10pm) is also the traditional timeslot for an Australian Rules football match, although modern television schedules and other factors mean there are now many other timeslots in which games are played as well as on Saturday afternoons.
  • A large majority of football league games are played in the UK on a Saturday.
  • In Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada the Holiday 'Good Saturday' is celebrated by everybody giving a cake to each other

Saturday in popular culture

See also

References

  1. McClelland, Bruce A. (2006). Slayers and Their Vampires: A Cultural History of Killing the Dead. University of Michigan. pp. 62–79. ISBN 9780472069231.
  2. ^ Димитрова, Иваничка (1983). "Българска народна митология" (in Bulgarian).
  3. ^ Abbott, George F. (1903). Macedonian Folklore. pp. 221–222. In Summers, Montague (2008) . The Vampire: His Kith and Kin. Forgotten Books. p. 36.
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