For many, Sunday is a day to rest & reflect. For others it’s the death of the weekend. Whatever you believe, let’s discover some fun facts about Sunday!
Oh, Sunday! It’s still the glorious weekend, right?
No matter how much you try and enjoy Sunday, there’s always that sneaking feeling that the new week is upon us and dreaded Monday morning is just around the corner.
It’s no wonder Sunday has a reputation as a day for relaxing. Some people find their Sunday groove on the couch watching football or golf on TV. Others invite family over for a lovely Sunday dinner to get everyone fed and prepared for the week ahead. To help pass the day away, let’s uncover some more fun facts about Sunday.
Sunday is known as a day of prayer for billions of people around the world and churches are packed with songs and sermons. And the grocery stores are packed too with people getting prepared for the week ahead.
From hit songs, to classic television, to the ice cream sundae to praying to the sun gods, Sunday is full of some interesting and head-scratching trivia.
Are you ready to learn more than you’ve ever needed to know about the final day of the week with these super Sunday facts? This this is the listicle for you.
Keep on reading to find out what’s special about Sunday (we think quite a lot!) It’s still the weekend, so let’s have some fun!
21 Fun Facts About Sunday
Contents:
1. A day of rest and worship
Sunday is most commonly known as the day to rest, reflect and reset. Billions of people around the world attend religious services on Sunday.
Others spend time at home relaxing, cleaning, or getting prepared for the week ahead. Sadly, Sunday is often known as “the death of the weekend”. Hey, those aren’t our words.
2. The first day of the week or the last?
It is debated if the week starts or ends on Sunday. While the common work week begins on Monday, the official stance of many countries in North America, including the US and Canada is that the week actually starts on Sunday.
And in the Middle East, Sunday is the first workday of the week. If you’re not a Sunday person, we suggest you don’t move to the Middle East anytime soon!
3. A traditional Sunday meal
The Sunday roast is a common meal in the United Kingdom and many other English-speaking countries around the world.
This Sunday meal consists of roasted meat, roasted potatoes and a variety of delicious side dishes, usually roasted too. They call it a roast for a reason! If you’re not up for cooking, local British pubs will often have Sunday roast on the menu and it’s the best way to spend a lazy afternoon with friends. It really is one of the best things about Britain!
4. Sunday is named after the sun
The word Sunday is derived from the Old English word Sonnendaeg, which literally translates to “Sun’s Day”. This relationship to the sun is reflected in many other languages as well, such as, Sontag in German and Jumapili in Swahili.
5. Not a Working Day
Ready for some more Sunday fun facts? Well maybe you shouldn’t even be reading this as it’s not a work day!
While many language’s words for Sunday reference the sun, in other places around the world Sunday is translated as: “No work.”
This is mainly true in the Slavic countries like Ukraine, Poland, Croatia and Bulgaria. In Russia, the word for Sunday translates to “resurrection.”
6. Sunday the 1st will lead to bad luck
Here’s one of the more random Sunday facts. When a month starts on a Sunday, the 13th will always fall on a Friday. Throw in a full moon and we’re really upping the creepy factor! Watch out for black cats and broken mirrors on these days!
7. Praying to the rising sun
Prayer of any form is most commonly performed on Sunday. It was the Ancient Romans who believed in Sunday as the day of the sun god. Many Romans would wake up extra early on Sunday and pray towards the sun as it rose above the horizon.
8. A great day to vote
It is quite common for countries to hold their elections on Sunday. The reasoning? People are not bogged down with work or appointments and can find time to get to the polling station.
It’s no surprise that many of the world’s democracies like Germany, France, Belgium, Sweden and Peru all hold elections on this day. How about that as an interesting fact about Sunday!
9. The banks are all shut down
It’s common in many countries that the banking institutions are shut on Sundays. It is not the best day to make a money transfer or pay a bill in person as no one’s around.
The good news: online banking doesn’t shut down on Sunday! Saying that, transactions may be delayed until regular banking hours recommence on Monday. Basically, what we’re saying is if you need any urgent banking done, often it’s easier to leave it to Monday.
10. There’s no alcohol for sale either!
Okay, we’ll admit it. Sunday can be a bit of a buzzkill. There are counties in the United States that don’t allow alcohol sales on Sunday.
Others restrict the sale of hard alcohol, but still allow wine and beer sales. You might want to buy your alcohol on Saturday just in case. You really don’t want to run out of beerskis at that summer bbq you’re having!
11. The greens on Sunday
Is Sunda your favorite day of the week? It is if you win The Masters!
If you’ve ever watched Tiger Woods sink a tournament winning putt at The Masters, it was on a Sunday.
Every tournament on the Professional Golf Association Tour ends with the final round played on Sunday. The only time a tournament will end on another day is for a weather delay.
12. The most holy of Sundays
Easter Sunday is one of the most important days in Christianity. It’s not about the Easter Bunny dropping off chocolate eggs for children, but it’s the day of Jesus Christ’s resurrection. Still, a few hidden treats are always welcome on this Sunday!
13. Ice Cream Sunday
This is one of the most interesting Sunday facts. The ice cream sundae was invented to substitute for ice cream soda when it became illegal to serve soda on Sundays in Illinois.
Thus, the sundae was invented and became America’s second signature dessert, after the apple pie of course.
14. Brr, it’s cold out there
Cold Sunday refers to January 17th 1982 when thousands of temperature records were broken across Canada and the United States. To this day it remains one of the coldest days ever recorded in North America.
15. Sunday Bloody Sunday
Ready for some Sunday symbolism? The famous hit song by the Irish rock band U2 “Sunday Bloody Sunday” was released in 1983 as the opening track to their album “War”.
The Sunday they refer to in the song commemorates the 1972 incident in Derry, Northern Ireland, where British troops shot and killed civil rights protesters. There’s a very important meaning behind that song.
16. An American Tradition
Super Bowl Sunday is an unofficial holiday in the United States. Each year there are widespread viewing parties in bars, homes and backyards with over 100 million Americans watching.
The game usually occurs on the first Sunday in February. The 2022 Super Bowl was won by the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, February 13th.
17. A great night for television
Since most people like to relax on a Sunday evening, it is no surprise that some of the most beloved shows on television air on Sunday nights.
Some shows famous for their Sunday time slots are Downton Abbey, Antiques Roadshow, and the longest running TV series of all-time, The Simpsons.
18. The most worrying day of the week
The “Sunday scaries” is a term coined by Anne Helen Petersen and it’s something we can all relate to. It refers to the overwhelming feeling of pressure associated with the upcoming week.
This is definitely one of the most anxiety-inducing fun facts about Sunday that we feel ourselves!
19. Black Sunday
The day known as Black Sunday refers to the worst dust storm in US history. On Sunday April 14th 1935 the storm ripped through the dustbowl of America destroying homes and crops, leaving hundreds dead and hundreds of thousands homeless.
20. An early computer virus
In November 1989, a computer virus named Sunday wreaked havoc on users of the DOS computer system. The virus was called Sunday because the encryption code was set to systematically delete files every Sunday.
The virus lasted for 9 years, until the Windows operating system rendered it obsolete.
21. Are you a Sunday’s child?
There is a famous nursery rhyme about children born on each day of the week. If you were born on Sunday, consider yourself lucky, because “Sunday’s child is full of grace.”
Better than poor Tuesday’s child who is known to be solemn and sad. Be thankful you were born on Sunday!
Who wants more fun facts?
If you’re looking for some recommendations, these are a few of our favorite fact books to buy. We use these when planning fun trivia nights with family and friends!
Did you learn something new with these fun facts about Sunday? Or was there a Sunday itch we didn’t scratch?
Let us know your favorite facts in the comments below and we’ll add them to our list!
