The English 'Saturday' originates from the Roman god Saturn, and can be recognized from Latin, where the day is called 'Dies Saturni'.
The Romans named it after Saturn, and for Saturn it stayed. The consistency in naming reflects the lasting Roman influence on English from the period when the Romans controlled the British Isles from 55 BCE to 410 CE. It's the perfect day to learn more about the word Saturday.
No later than the 2nd century, the Romans named Saturday diēs Sāturnī ("Saturn's Day") for the planet Saturn, which controlled the first hour of that day, according to Vettius Valens.
Saturday, or dies Saturni, in Roman times, was designated as Saturn's Day. This was in honor of the Roman god, Saturn. In Norse mythology, Saturday was named “Laugardagr” which was derived from two things: wash day (“laugardagen”) and Loki's day.
Named after the Roman god and planet Saturn, Saturday is the only day of the week that retained its Roman origin in English. Saturn is the Roman and Italic god of agriculture and the consort of Ops. He is believed to have ruled Earth during an age of happiness and virtue.
Laugardagr (sunnunótt) – Saturday
Most inexplicable among the Old Norse day-names is laugardagr. In Latin the day was named after Saturn (Saturni), and we can recognize it in the English language; Saturday.
Holy Saturday is significant because it marks the time when Jesus Christ was buried in the tomb, fulfilling the prophecy of his death and resurrection. It is a time of preparation and reflection, as Christians anticipate the celebration of the resurrection on Easter Sunday.
Saturday.
Named for Saturn and associated with the Greek god Kronou and the Roman god Saturni. These were gods of the harvest.
Naming Wednesday
The English word Wednesday is derived from Old English and means “Wodan's day.” The Germanic god Wodan is also known as Odin, the Norse allfather of the gods. In most languages with Latin origins, the day is named after the god and planet Mercury.
Santa has been heavily influenced by traditions surrounding Odin, the Norse god of the Norse gods, a.k.a. the Allfather.
Saturday – Sæternesdæg (Saturn's day – the day of the Roman god Saturn, whose festival “Saturnalia,” with its exchange of gifts, has been incorporated into our celebration of Christmas. Unlike other English day names, no god substitution seems to have been attempted here);
From Middle English Saterday, from Old English sæterdæg, earlier sæternesdæġ (“day of Saturn”), from Proto-West Germanic *Sāturnas dag; a translation of Latin diēs Saturnī.
The 7 days of the week were originally created by the Babylonians. The Babylonians divided the 28-day lunar cycle into four weeks, each consisting of seven days. The number seven was significant as it represented the seven major celestial bodies that had been observed by the Babylonians.
The modern seven-day week can be traced back to the Babylonians, who used it within their calendar. Other ancient cultures had different week lengths, including ten in Egypt and an eight-day week for Etruscans.
Dagr (Old Norse: [ˈdɑɣz̠], "day") is the divine personification of the day in Norse mythology. He appears in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson.
Monday likewise comes from Old English “Mōnandæg,” named after Máni, the Norse personification of the moon (and Sól's brother). Tuesday comes from Old English “Tīwesdæg,” after Tiw, or Tyr, a one-handed Norse god of dueling. He is equated with Mars, the Roman war god.
The English word Thursday is named after the Norse god of thunder, Thor. Thursday means Thor's day in Old English. Thor is represented riding a chariot drawn by goats and wielding his hammer. In most languages with Latin origins, the day is named after the god and planet Jupiter.
The name Friday comes from the Old English frīġedæġ, meaning the "day of Frig", a result of an old convention associating the Nordic goddess Frigg with the Roman goddess Venus, with whom the day is associated in many different cultures.
Aphrodite or Venus, Frigg or Freyja, the goddess of love, inspired the naming of the fifth day of the week.
Saturday: Day of Plenty and A Roman God
The seventh day of the seven-day-cycle for the Romans was devoted to Saturn. The day was known as dies Saturni – “the Day of Saturn.” In French, the day is known as Samedi and, as always, carries the ancient name into the modern Romance language speaker's mind.
Loki's Day
Saturday, the final day of the week, was originally known as Laugardag (formed from Loki's name, but it translates to wash-day). When adapted to English, the day did in fact maintain its connection to Loki. The word Saturday is based on Sataere (the thief in ambush).
Within the Greek Orthodox Church, there's a tradition of praying for the νεκρός (nekrós), or “dead,” every Saturday. This is done in memoriam of when Jesus died on the Great and Holy Saturday. However, there are also two specific days set aside each year, which are often called Soul Saturday or Saturday of the Souls.
We should observe the seventh day of the week (Saturday), from even to even, as the Sabbath of the Lord our God. Evening is at sunset when day ends and another day begins. No other day has ever been sanctified as the day of rest. The Sabbath Day begins at sundown on Friday and ends at sundown on Saturday.
Unlike most other Christian denominations, Seventh-day Adventists attend church on Saturdays, which they believe to be the Sabbath instead of Sunday, according to their interpretation of the Bible.
Holy Saturday- Wear BLACK in the morning in mourning of the burial of Jesus. Wear WHITE once the sun falls to recall Jesus's Glorious Resurrection. Easter Sunday- Put on your Sunday's BEST! Wear White or Gold to symbolize the glory of the resurrection or flowers that recall new live!