Christianity The
early Christian Didache warned believers not to fast on Mondays to avoid
Judaizing (see
below), and suggested fasting on Wednesdays instead. Monday is the day in which is celebrated
Easter Monday, the day after
Easter Sunday and the second day of
Eastertide. Easter Monday is a public holiday in many
Christian countries. In
Western Christianity it marks the second day of the
Octave of Easter; in
Eastern Christianity it marks the second day of
Bright Week. In the
Eastern Orthodox Church, Mondays are days on which the
Angels are commemorated. The
Octoechos contains
hymns on this theme, arranged in an eight-week cycle, which are chanted on Mondays throughout the year. At the end of
Divine Services on Mondays, the
dismissal begins with the words: "May Christ our True God, through the
intercessions, of his most-pure
Mother, of the honorable, Bodiless Powers (i.e., the angels) of
Heaven…". In many Eastern
monasteries Mondays are observed as
fast days. Because Mondays are dedicated to the angels, and
monks strive to live an angelic life. In these monasteries, the monks abstain from meat, fowl, dairy products, fish, wine and oil. If a
feast day occurs on a Monday, fish, wine and oil may be allowed, depending upon the particular feast. Members of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spend one evening per week, called
Family Home Evening (FHE) or Family Night. This is usually a Monday, when families are encouraged to spend time together in study, prayer and other family activities.
Hinduism In
Hinduism, Mondays are associated with the
Hindu god of the moon
Chandra or Soma. In several
South Asian languages, Monday is knowns as
Somavara or
Somavaram. Hindus who fast on Mondays do so in dedication to the deity
Shiva. Some observe the
Solah Somvar Vrat, which is a fast of sixteen Mondays dedicated to Shiva in hopes of getting married and finding a suitable partner. Fasting on Mondays in the Hindu month of
Shravana is also considered auspicious as it is one of the holiest months to Hindus and dedicated to Shiva and his consort
Parvati.
Islam In
Islam, Mondays are one of the days in a week in which Muslims are encouraged to do
voluntary fasting, the other being Thursdays. There are a number of
Hadith which narrated of
Muhammad fasting on these days. According to the same Hadith, Muhammad was born on a Monday. It is also narrated that he received his
first revelation (which would later become
the Quran) on Monday.
Judaism In
Judaism, Mondays are considered auspicious days for fasting. In Judaism, a small portion of the weekly
Parashah in
Torah is read in public on Monday and Thursday mornings, as a supplement for the
Saturday reading). Special penitential prayers are recited on Monday unless there is a special occasion for happiness which cancels them. According to the Mishna and Talmud, these traditions are due to Monday and Thursday being "the market days" when people gathered from the towns to the city. A tradition of
Ashkenazi Jews to voluntarily fast on the first consecutive Monday, Thursday and Monday of the Hebrew month is prevalent among the ultra-orthodox. In Hebrew, Monday is called "Yom Shení", literally meaning "Second Day", following the biblical reference to the sabbath day as the "Seventh-day" and the tradition of that day being on
Saturday. It has been established that the phonetic and cultural link between the planet Saturn, Saturday and the Sabbath day is of ancient Mesopotamian origin. == Cultural references ==