SUNDAY :


Sunday, first day of the week. Its English name, as well as its German name (Sonntag), is derived from the Latin dies solis,”Sun’s day”, the name of a pagan Roman holiday. In the New Testament (see Revelation 1:10) it is called the Day of God (Dominica in the Latin version), from which the name of Sunday is derived in Romance languages (French, dimanche; Italian domenica; Spanish, domingo; Romanian duminica). In the early days of Christianity, Sunday began to replace the sabbath, and to be observed to honour the Resurrection of Christ. Sunday was instituted as a day of rest, consecrated especially to the service of God, by the Roman emperor Constantine I. After the 4th century, ecclesiastical and civil legislation regulated work on Sunday and prescribed guidance for Sunday worship. In recent years, the laws limiting business and amusements on Sundays have been greatly relaxed.