How the Days of the Week Got Their Names

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The days of the week were named after Norse gods and giant objects in the sky.

These names come to us originally from the Greeks and Romans, who named the days of the week after their gods.

The Anglo-Saxons, who invaded Britain hundreds of years ago, adopted this idea but substituted their own gods. The English language has inherited and changed those names a bit, but the ones we use today resemble those names.

Here's how:

• Sunday: Sun's Day. The Sun gave people light and warmth every day. They decided to name the first (or last) day of the week after the Sun.
• Monday: Moon's Day. The Moon was thought to be very important in the lives of people and their crops.
• Tuesday: Tiw's Day. Tiw, or Tyr, was a Norse god known for his sense of justice.
• Wednesday: Woden's Day. Woden, or Odin, was a Norse god who was one of the most powerful of them all.
• Thursday: Thor's Day. Thor was a Norse god who wielded a giant hammer.
• Friday: Frigg's Day. Frigg was a Norse god equal in power to Odin.

Saturday: Seater's Day or Saturn's Day. Saturn was a Roman god.

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