Thursday

Thursday is the fourth day of the week in the ISO-8601 standard, positioned between Wednesday and Friday. In calendars that begin the week on Sunday, Thursday is the fifth day.

Etymology and naming: The English Thursday derives from Old English Þūnresdæg, meaning the day of Þunor (Thor), the Norse god of thunder. This reflects the Germanic practice of naming days for thunder-related deities. The same tradition appears in German Donnerstag and Dutch donderdag. In many Romance languages, the day is named after Jupiter: Spanish jueves, French jeudi, Italian giovedì. Portuguese quinta-feira (quinta means fifth) reflects an ordinal naming pattern rather than a deity.

Cultural and religious context: In Christianity, Holy Thursday (Maundy Thursday) is observed during Holy Week to commemorate the Last Supper. In other religious and cultural calendars, the exact position and observances of Thursday can vary with local week-start conventions and liturgical practices.

Usage and characteristics: Like other days, Thursday comprises 24 hours and is used for regular weekday scheduling in most modern societies. Its association with the thunder god in Germanic traditions and with the planet Jupiter in some Romance-language traditions reflects the historical blending of mythology and astronomy in the naming of the days of the week.