It’s “Finally Friday,” “Smile, it’s Friday,” and “TGIF” (Thank God It’s Friday). So, what is so special about Friday? Why, it’s the last day of the work week, and people have two whole days to loaf, kick up our heels, do our own thing, or whatever it is that we would rather be doing than working.

In olden times, Friday was considered unlucky, but nowadays, we can hardly wait for it to get here. We count the days from Blue Monday to Hump Day and onward to Friday. Monday is blue because it is “back to the grindstone.” But after we get past Wednesday, it’s all downhill. Pitiful, the way we seem to have so little to look forward to that Friday has become the high point of the week.

Around my house, Fridays are not much more important than any other day. By the time it finally rolls around, I don’t feel like going anywhere. It used to be that Friday was a good day to go out since I could sleep late on Saturday. Now, if I “go out,” it’s more likely to be to buy the weekly groceries than anything else.

Friday is sometimes called Fish Day. Some religions do not eat meat on Friday as a penance or sacrifice. People can eat fish, however, so Friday became the day of eating fish. Eventually fish day became a tradition that had nothing to do with religion and many restaurants still have a fish special on Friday.

I remember a ditty from childhood where each day of the week was given a special chore. Monday was washday. I have no idea why unless it was considered a good thing to start off the week with clean clothes or because washing clothes by hand, wringing them out, and hanging them on a line outside was such a chore that you had to do it after having a day of rest on Sunday.

In the song, Friday was the day to clean house. Now that women have been liberated, we work outside the home too, and Friday is not a day when we want to clean house. Neither is Saturday for that matter. But I usually clean house on Saturday anyhow as that is really the only day I have time to do it.

Baking on Saturday went south somewhere around the time of the invention of sliced bread, didn’t it? Does anyone actually bake their own bread these days? Ironing went out the window too with the invention of permanent press clothing, and sewing is more of a hobby or craft than a necessity. Many women can’t sew a stitch and like it that way.

Friday is also payday, another reason to celebrate. Now few employers pay weekly, though. Instead they pay every two weeks as it is easier and more economical. I get paid twice a month regardless of what day of the week it is. Try and figure that one out.

Friday has historically been associated with disasters and often called Black Friday. But “Black Friday” has recently become the term used to refer to the day after Thanksgiving when many people start their holiday shopping, getting merchants out of the red and into the black financially.

Some offices have a Casual Friday to celebrate the end of the work week. Employees are allowed to dress down and relax normal standards. Lately I’ve noticed a trend toward not working in the office at all on Friday, but staying at home to telecommute and stretch that two-day weekend a bit.

Friday was named after the planet Venus, which was called Frige in Old English and eventually shortened to Fri Day — not that anyone cares. All I can say is TGIF, and I can’t wait until the week is over and I can rest.

Copyright 2009 Sheila Moss