Born on a Wednesday

The name and its planet

The Roman dies Mercurii, Mercury's day, survives in French mercredi, Italian mercoledì and Spanish miércoles. The Germanic peoples identified Mercury, the god of eloquence, travel and the guiding of souls, with Woden or Odin, giving Old English Wōdnesdæg and English Wednesday. German speakers, perhaps under Church influence, replaced the god's name with Mittwoch, "midweek", as Russian sreda likewise means "middle". In Hindi it is Budhavār, the day of Budha, the planet Mercury, and in Japanese Suiyōbi, the "water day".

Born on a Wednesday

The rhyme is unkind: "Wednesday's child is full of woe", though no one is sure why, and some think the words were chosen for the rhyme. Western astrology gives Mercury quickness, wit, commerce and language. Among the Akan of Ghana a Wednesday-born boy is Kwaku (Kweku) and a girl Akua (Ekua). In Thailand Wednesday's colour is green; the daytime image shows the Buddha holding his alms bowl, and the night image shows him in retreat in the forest, attended by an elephant and a monkey. Burmese astrology is unusual in dividing Wednesday at noon: those born in the morning have the tusked elephant as their animal, those born after noon the tuskless elephant, a day associated with Rahu, giving an eight-day astrological week.

Lore and observance

The early Christian handbook known as the Didache told believers to fast on Wednesdays and Fridays, and the Wednesday fast remains part of Eastern Orthodox practice. Ash Wednesday opens the Western season of Lent. In Western magical correspondences Wednesday is linked with Mercury's metal, quicksilver, and with writing, learning and messages (see Correspondences).