Wednesday might be the best day of the week to learn new things. Here’s why …

The origins of “Wednesday” as a day of wisdom have remarkable similarities in English, the Romance languages, Anglo-Saxon & Norse paganism, Roman and Hindu mythologies.

“Wednesday” in Vedic Astrology

In Vedic astrology (Jyotiṣa), each day of the week is named after a planet or celestial body, corresponding to the Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn. The system associates each day with a planetary deity or a graha believed to influence the day’s events. 

The name for Wednesday is Budhavāsaraḥ (बुधवासरः) or Budhavāra (बुधवार). Budha (बुध) is the name of both the planet Mercury and the deity associated with it. So, Wednesday is Budha-vāra, which means “Budha’s Day” or “Mercury’s Day.”

Budha is the personification of the planet Mercury.  He is the son of Chandra (the Moon) and Tara (the goddess representing stars). Budha is considered the ruler of intellect, communication, and learning. His influence is believed to bestow a person with intelligence, an agile mind, and a sharp memory.

Budha is a different figure entirely from the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism. However, the association is natural. In Yoga and Ayurveda, the aspect of the human mind that bestows wisdom is referred to as the Buddhi. So, while the name for Wednesday is not connected to the founder of Buddhism, the association with wisdom is indeed the reason why the planet Mercury (and thus the day named after it) is called Budha, and the enlightened one is known as the Buddha.

“Wednesday” in English

The word “Wednesday” in English comes from Old English Wōdnesdæg, meaning “Woden’s Day.” Woden (or Odin) was the chief god in Anglo-Saxon, Germanic, and Norse paganism, associated with wisdom, magic, and poetry.

This naming convention for Wednesday is a “loan-translation” from Latin. The Romans named the days of the week after their own gods and planets. Wednesday was “dies Mercurii”, or “the day of Mercury.” When the Germanic people were forced to adopt the Roman seven-day week, they translated the days by associating them with their own gods, who were similar to the Roman gods. Since Woden (Odin) was seen as the Germanic equivalent of the Roman messenger god Mercury, the day became Woden’s day, or Wednesday.

In the 5th century, following the collapse of the Roman Empire, several Germanic tribes (Angles, Saxons, and Jutes) migrated from mainland Europe to Great Britain, bringing their astrological and language traditions with them. The tradition continues in English to the present day.

“Wednesday” in the Romance Languages

The Romance languages evolved from Vulgar Latin during the Roman occupation of Europe, adopting a translation or derivation of “dies Mercury” (Mercury’s Day) in their names for Wednesday, reflecting their shared Latin heritage.

Spanish: Miércoles  |  Italian: Mercoledì  |  French: Mercredi  |  Romanian: Miercuri  |  Catalan: Dimecres  | Galician: Mércores

As you can see, the connection to Mercury is very strong across the Romance language family for Wednesday, showcasing the enduring legacy of Roman culture and its influence on European languages.