Editing Wednesday (section)

==Religious observances==
[[File:US Navy 080206-N-7869M-057 Electronics Technician 3rd Class Leila Tardieu receives the sacramental ashes during an Ash Wednesday celebration.jpg|thumb|alt=A priest marks a cross of ashes on a worshipper's forehead.|The imposition of ashes on [[Ash Wednesday]]]]
The [[Genesis creation narrative|Creation narrative]] in the [[Hebrew Bible]] places the creation of the [[Sun]] and [[Moon]] on "the fourth day" of the divine workweek.

[[Religious Society of Friends|Quakers]] traditionally referred to Wednesday as "Fourth Day" to avoid the [[paganism|pagan]] associations with the name "Wednesday",<ref>{{cite web |url=http://iymc.org/calendarnames.html |title=Guide to Quaker Calendar Names |author=<!--Not stated--> |publisher=Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative) Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) |access-date=30 March 2017 |quote=In the 20th Century, many Friends began accepting use of the common date names, feeling that any pagan meaning has been forgotten. The numerical names continue to be used, however, in many documents and more formal situations."}}</ref> or in keeping with the practice of treating each day as equally divine.

The [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] observes Wednesday (as well as Friday) as a [[Fasting#Eastern Orthodoxy|fast day]] throughout the year (with the exception of several fast-free periods during the year). Fasting on Wednesday and Fridays entails [[abstinence]] from [[meat]] or animal products (i.e., four-footed animals), [[poultry]] and [[dairy products]]. Unless a [[feast day]] occurs on a Wednesday, the Orthodox also abstain from [[fish]], from using oil in their cooking and from [[alcoholic beverages]] (there is some debate over whether abstention from oil involves all [[cooking oil]] or only [[olive oil]]). For the Orthodox, Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the year commemorate the betrayal of Jesus (Wednesday) and the Crucifixion of Christ (Friday). There are hymns in the [[Octoechos (liturgy)|Octoekhos]] which reflect this liturgically.  These include special ''[[Theotokion|Theotokia]]'' ([[hymn]]s to the [[Theotokos|Mother of God]]) called {{Lang|grc-latn|Stavrotheotokia}} ('Cross-Theotokia'). The [[dismissal (liturgy)|dismissal]] at the end of services on Wednesday begins with these words: "May Christ our true God, through the power of the precious and life-giving cross...."

In [[Irish language|Irish]] and [[Scottish Gaelic]], the name for Wednesday also refers to fasting, as it is {{Lang|ga|Dé Céadaoin}} in Irish Gaelic and {{Lang|gd|Di-Ciadain}} in Scottish Gaelic, which comes from ''{{lang|ga|chéad}}'', meaning 'first', and ''{{lang|ga|aoine}}'', meaning 'fasting', which combined means 'first day of fasting'.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bitesizeirishgaelic.com/blog/days-of-the-week/ |title=The Days of the Week in Irish |publisher=Bitesizeirishgaelic.com |date=4 August 2012 |access-date=7 August 2014}}</ref>

In American culture many [[Catholic]] and [[Protestant]] churches schedule study or prayer meetings on Wednesday nights. The sports calendar in many American public schools reflects this, reserving Mondays and Thursdays for girls' games and Tuesdays and Fridays for boys' games while generally avoiding events on Wednesday evening.

In the Catholic devotion of the [[Rosary based prayers#Holy Rosary|Holy Rosary]], the glorious mysteries are meditated on Wednesday and also Sunday throughout the year.

Wednesday is the day of the week devoted by the Catholic tradition to [[Saint Joseph]].

In [[Hinduism]], [[Budha]] is the god of [[Mercury (planet)]], Wednesday, and of merchants and merchandise. [[Krishna]],  [[Vithoba]], and [[Ganesha]] are also worshipped on Wednesday.