Friday
Friday, by international standard, is the fifth day of the week, falling between Thursday and Saturday. In countries that adopt a Sunday-first convention, it is commonly considered the sixth day of the week. (see Days of the week for more on the different conventions.)
The name Friday comes from the Old English frigedæg, meaning the day of Frige, the Norse god of beauty. Frige replaced the Roman god of beauty, Venus, as the namesake of the fifth day of the week after the Anglo-Saxon invasions of Rome. This is why the word for Friday in French is Vendredi, and in Italian it is Venerdi, after Venus, while in Modern German it is Freitag.
In most countries with a five-day work week, Friday is the last workday before the weekend and is therefore viewed as a cause for celebration or relief. In some offices, employees are allowed to wear less formal attire on Fridays, known as Casual Friday or Dress-Down Friday.
Friday in History
Several historical disasters that happened on Fridays are known as Black Friday.
Friday in Religion
In Islam, Friday is the day of public worship in mosques (see Friday prayers. In some Islamic countries, the week begins on Sunday and ends on Saturday, just like the Jewish and Christian week. In others, such as Iran and Afghanistan, the week begins on Saturday and ends on Friday.
The Jewish Sabbath begins at sunset on Friday and runs until sunset on Saturday.
In Christianity, the Friday before Easter is celebrated as Good Friday to commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus. Some Christians will refrain from eating meat on Fridays, and will often choose fish instead.
Quakers traditionally refer to Friday as "Sixth Day" eschewing the pagan origin of the name.
Unlucky Friday
In some cultures, Friday is considered unlucky, especially regarding Friday the 13th. This is particularly so in maritime circles; in one (probably untrue) story a Royal Navy ship HMS Friday was laid down on a Friday, launched on a Friday and captained by a Captain Friday and was never heard of again.
Friday in Popular Culture
In popular culture, the expression TGIF, an abbreviation for Thank God It's Friday or Thank Goodness It's Friday has come to symbolize Friday as a cause for celebration. (The phrase was popularized by a 1978 movie starring Donna Summer.) The phrase is also the inspiration for the restaurant, aptly named, T.G.I. Friday's.
In the popular rhyme, "Friday's Child is loving and giving".
In the novel Robinson Crusoe, Friday is the name of a Native American cannibal who was saved by the protagonist on a Friday and became his servant.
Cadbury promoted a chocolate bar with the slogan Thank Crunchie it's Friday.
In a reference to "TGI Friday", maverick British television host Chris Evans created the television program TFI Friday, its initials supposedly standing for "Thank Four It's" (Four being a reference to Channel 4, the television station) – any other meaning for the F was a matter for the viewer's own imagination.
Friday is a book by Robert A. Heinlein.
Friday is also a movie featuring rapper Ice Cube.