Is Sunday the first day of the week or the last? And why is the sun so important that there is a weekday named after it?
Keep reading to learn a little about the history of this somewhat special, although sometimes controversial, day of the week.
1. Named by the Romans
The Romans named Sunday. They called this special day “dies solis,” meaning the day of the sun.
In old English, it was called “Sunnandaeg.”
2. Sun Worship
Sunday was dedicated to worshiping the fiery ball that presides over all life on earth. It gives life, light, and warmth.
For these reasons, many ancient cultures revered the sun and often linked it with a god or goddess. For example, Helios and Apollo were both Greek gods of the Sun. Sol or Sunna was a Norse and Germanic sun goddess.
3. First or Seventh Day of the Week
Sunday is considered the day of rest and worship within the Christian religion. It is also the first day of the week in the Hebrew and many traditional calendars.
In 1988, Sunday was officially placed as the seventh day of the week by the International Organization for Standardization ISO 8601. However, many secular groups had already considered Sunday the seventh day of the week and the end of the weekend.
4. Day of Rest
Sunday officially became a day of rest on March 7, 321 CE. Roman Emperor Constantine I made Sunday an official day off from work. Previous to this decree, Sunday was a workday like all the other days.
5. Not the Original Sabbath Day
The Sabbath falls on Saturday, not Sunday, in Jewish tradition, a religion older than Christianity. This is because Saturday is the last day of the week, and the Judeo-Christian God rested on the seventh day.
