The Day After Monday

Tuesday: "Tyr, name of an ancient Teutonic deity, identified with the Roman Mars." [Oxford English Dictionary] day, akin to deity. [Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition.

Mars' Day. The Roman god of war, in whose honor we have named the third day of the week and the fourth planet from the sun. Home of the Martians who, for a while, made for some good movies and were supposed to visit or attack Earth. And this is not to forget Mars Bars (and the Scottish habit of Deep-Fried Mars Bars, guaranteed to eliminate those older, unproductive, years of your life).

I wonder if the more planetary-oriented of our ancestors carefully planned their wars to start at certain locations of Mars in the sky, or on Tuesdays. President Reagan, or his wife, was deeply into astrology and the country ran to some extent on the prognostications of some astrologer, rather than the elected head of state. Imagine that: the most powerful man on earth was the person who cast astrological forecasts! He may well have counseled for or against attacks based on the position of Mars based on its relationship to other planets and stars.

The old names don't matter to us anymore -- we don't even know what they mean, or who they honor. For business and outside the home use, we can keep using them. But at home, why not invent our own names?

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Momsday, Jillsday, Tomsday, Bobsday, Gramsday, Grampsday, Dadsday.

Instead of the original:

Sunday, Moonday, Marsday, Odinsday, Thorsday, Friggaday (later, Venusday), Saturnsday.

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