After working six days from Monday to Saturday, people wait for Sunday. Sunday means a day off. A day of fun for the children, a day of rest for the elders, and a day of rest work for a lot of people. Have you ever wondered why Sunday is a holiday? What is the history of holiday on this day? Here we are telling how the holiday started on Sunday.
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How Sunday Holiday Started in World?
On 7 March 321, Emperor Constantine who was the First Roman ruler who embrace Christianity has declared Sunday a public holiday so that people could attend churches.
According to the International Standardization Organization ISO, Sunday is considered to be the last day of the week and it is a common holiday on this day. Sunday comes from Old English “Sunnandæg,” which is derived from a Germanic interpretation of the Latin dies solis, “sun’s day.” Germanic and Norse mythology personify the sun as a goddess named Sunna or Sól.
On 7 March 321 Rome’s first Christian Emperor decreed that Sunday would be observed as the Roman day of rest.
On 10th June 1890, British Government declared sunday as a holiday in India.
In 1844, the governor general of British, introduced the provision of ‘Sunday Holiday’ for the school going students.
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How it Sunday Holiday Started in India?
When the Britishers came to India, there was no holiday here on Sundays. The mill workers here worked for seven days, while the British had to go to church on Sundays. Narayan Meghaji Lokhande who was a mill worker campaigned for sunday to be declared as holiday.
Lokhande didn’t accept the defeat, he continued his struggle. After a 7-year long struggle, on 10th June 1890, British Government declared sunday as a holiday for Indian workers.
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Religious beliefs are said to be behind the holiday on Sunday in most countries. Like in Islam, Friday means Jumma. Similarly, Roman Catholic and Protestant Christians consider Sunday as the day of God and in most Christian countries including Europe, people go to church on Sunday.
Weekly holidays are of great importance after a working week of 5 or 6 days. There are many things that people do in these days. In most countries, Sunday is a off day, but there are also countries where it is not a rest day.
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Sunday in Hindu Calendar
According to the Hindu Calendar, the week starts with Sunday. It is the day of the ‘Surya Devta’, as per the Hindu tradition, it is the day when Surya and all the other gods and goddesses are worshipped.
In these countries Sunday is not Off
In most Muslim countries, Friday is considered a day of worship. For this reason, there is a holiday on Friday instead of Sunday.
- Nepal
- Iran
- Bahrain
- Iraq
- Yemen
- Jordan
- United Arab Emirates
- Kuwait
- Israel
- Libya
- Syria
- Maldives
- Sudan
- Malaysia
- Saudi Arab
- Oman
- Queue
- Palestine
- Egypt
- Bangladesh
- Afghanistan
- Algeria
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