July 15, 2007
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Days of the Week special- Sunday
Sunday is the day of the week between Saturday and Monday. In the Judaeo-Christian tradition it is the first day of the week. Since the second half of the 20th century it has been counted as the seventh day of the week throughout Europe. In a number of countries both counts run side by side. In Slavic languages Sunday(undivideable day – referencing seven) is both the first and seventh days of the week: It is first because Wednesday is literally the “middle” of the week, while it is seventh because Tuesday, Thursday and Friday are literally the “second”, “fourth” and “fifth” days of the week.
Sunday is considered a holiday in most countries of the world and as part of the weekend. Only countries influenced by Islamic (or Jewish) culture often have Friday (or Saturday) as a weekly holiday instead.
The Sun was assigned to this day in pre-Christian Egyptian culture. (See T. Slater’s article “Sunday” in the 1908 Catholic Encyclopedia.) The Egyptian form of the seven-day week spread to Rome during the first and second century when the Roman names of the planets were given to each successive day.
Germanic-speaking nations apparently adopted the seven-day week from the Romans, so that the Roman dies Solis became Sunday (German, Sonntag), likely in reference to the Germanic sun goddess Sol. The Christians reinterpreted the indigenous name as implying the Sun of Righteousness with reference to his “arising” (Malachi 4:2)[citation needed]. It was also called Dies Panis (Day of Bread), because it was an early custom to break bread on that day.[2]
Among Christians (with the exception of seventh-day Sabbatarians, such as the denominations listed above) Sunday is considered holy and often a day of rest and church-attendance.
The first Christians were Jews and maintained the observance of the Jewish Sabbath rest on Saturday, but by the first half of the second century most Christians no longer observed the Sabbath, instead gathering for worship on Sunday (although for some time the Sabbath continued to be held in a special regard even among Christians who observed Sunday). Consequently, Christians would avoid secular activities to allow time for worship.
Throughout history there have been Christians, especially Protestants, who believe Sunday must be observed with just the sort of rigorous abstinence from work associated with the Jewish Sabbath (exemplified by Eric Liddell in the film Chariots of Fire) , but for most Christians the custom and obligation of Sunday rest has not been as strict.
In Orthodox Christian families and communities, some activities are not done, e.g. working, doing something that requires somebody else to work such as buying goods or services (including the use of public transport), driving a car, gardening, washing a car, etc. Exceptions which are allowed are making use of religious services, and, usually, using electricity, and urgent medical matters. In Roman Catholicism, those who work in the medical field, in law enforcement, or soldiers in a war zone are dispensed from the usual obligation to avoid work on Sunday.
In the United States, professional football is usually played on Sunday, although Saturday and Monday (via Monday Night Football) also see some professional games. College football usually occurs on Saturday, and high-school football tends to take place on Friday night or Saturday afternoon. It is not uncommon for church attendance to shift on days when a late morning or early afternoon game is anticipated by a local community.
Also in the United States, many federal government buildings are closed on Sunday. Privately owned businesses also tend to close or are open for shorter periods of the day than on other days of the week.
Many American and British television networks and stations also broadcast their political interview shows on Sunday mornings.
Many American and British daily newspapers publish a larger edition on Sundays, which often includes color comic strips, a magazine, and a coupon section.
In Ireland, Gaelic football and hurling matches are predominantly played on Sundays, with the second and fourth Sundays in September always playing host to the All-Ireland hurling and football championship finals, respectively.
Radio stations often play specialty radio shows such as Casey Kasem‘s countdown or other nationally syndicated radio shows that may differ from their regular weekly music patterns on Sunday morning and/or Sunday evening.
(content obtained from Wikipedia and editted for size)