woensdag

Woensdag is the Dutch name for Wednesday, the day between Tuesday and Thursday. In the ISO 8601 standard used in most of Europe, Monday is the first day of the week, so Wednesday is the third day. Some calendars and cultures that start the week on Sunday count Wednesday as the fourth day.

Name origin: The word and the concept derive from Woden (Odin), a major figure in Germanic mythology. Dutch "woensdag" descends from Old Dutch Wodensdag or Wodensdag, literally "Woden's day." The English word Wednesday shares the same origin.

Usage and culture: For Dutch and Belgian residents, Wednesday is a regular work or school day, often used as a point of reference for midweek plans. In English-language contexts, "hump day" is informal slang for Wednesday, highlighting its midweek position.

Religious and ceremonial observances: In Western Christianity, Ash Wednesday falls on the first day of Lent and moves with the date of Easter; it is observed on a Wednesday. Other religious calendars may have different practices linked to the weekday.