maandag

Maandag is the Dutch name for Monday, the second day of the week in most Dutch calendars. In international and many European contexts, Monday is considered the first day of the workweek, though some cultural or religious conventions may start the week on Sunday.

Etymology: The term maandag derives from maan (moon) and dag (day), reflecting the tradition of naming days after celestial bodies. It is cognate with the English Monday, German Montag, and related forms in other Germanic languages, all tracing back to the Moon's day.

Usage: Maandag is used to indicate dates and times, and forms the basis for compounds such as maandagmorgen (Monday morning) and maandagavond (Monday evening). It appears across registers from informal speech to formal writing, in scheduling, calendars, and time expressions.

Calendar and culture: In official calendars following ISO 8601, Monday is the first day of the week (day 1). In everyday Dutch life, Monday commonly signals the start of the workweek for many people, with routines and appointments often planned from Monday onward. Public holidays may fall on a Monday, creating extended weekends, a pattern visible in events such as Easter Monday (Tweede Paasdag) and other holiday observances when they occur on a Monday.