Sundays and seasons are connected through ancient mythology: the name “Sunday” comes from the Sun, and the seasonal cycle is tied to solar myths about the Sun’s yearly journey. In many world traditions, the Sun is a deity or hero whose birth, death, and rebirth mirror the changing seasons, especially at solstices and equinoxes.
Why Is Sunday Named After the Sun?
The seven-day week we use today comes from ancient Mesopotamia, but the names of the days in many languages come from Greek and Roman planetary gods. Sunday is the day of the Sun, called dies Solis in Latin. The Romans dedicated this day to Sol, their sun god. In Germanic and Norse traditions, the day was named after the sun goddess Sunna (also called Sól), which is why English uses “Sunday” rather than a Roman name.
In the Christian calendar, Sunday became the day of worship because Jesus’ resurrection is said to have occurred on the first day of the week. But the name itself has pagan roots, and many languages keep the solar connection: German Sonntag, Spanish domingo (from Latin dies Dominica, “Lord’s day”), and Japanese nichiyōbi (日曜日, “sun day”).
The Sun’s Yearly Cycle in Myth
Before astronomy explained the seasons, myths explained why days grow shorter and longer. The most common story is that the Sun is a being who travels across the sky, and its strength changes with the seasons. In Greek mythology, Helios drives a chariot across the sky each day, but the seasons themselves are governed by the goddess Demeter and her daughter Persephone. When Persephone returns from the underworld in spring, the earth blooms; when she leaves in autumn, the world withers.
In Norse myth, the sun goddess Sól is chased across the sky by a wolf, Sköll. At Ragnarök, the wolf finally catches her, and the sun darkens—a mythic way of describing an eclipse or the end of an age. The seasons are not explicitly tied to Sól in the surviving texts, but the sun’s daily and yearly movement is central to Norse cosmology.
Solstice and Equinox Deities
Many cultures mark the solstices and equinoxes with festivals that honor solar deities. The winter solstice (around December 21) is the shortest day, and many myths treat it as the “rebirth” of the sun. In ancient Rome, the festival of Sol Invictus (“the Unconquered Sun”) was held on December 25, near the solstice. Some scholars see a connection to Christmas, though the exact origins are debated.
- Amaterasu (Japan): The Shinto sun goddess. According to the Kojiki, she hid in a cave, plunging the world into darkness, until the other gods lured her out with a mirror and jewelry—a myth that explains the return of light after an eclipse or winter.
- Ra (Egypt): The sun god who sails across the sky in a boat. His nightly journey through the underworld and rebirth each dawn mirrors the daily and seasonal cycle.
- Inti (Inca): The sun god, honored at the winter solstice with the festival of Inti Raymi, which still takes place in Cusco, Peru.
- Surya (Hindu): The sun god, often depicted riding a chariot drawn by seven horses. The Makar Sankranti festival in January marks the sun’s northward journey.
How Seasons Work in Myth vs. Science
Myths are not scientific explanations, but they often encode real observations. The Earth’s tilt (about 23.5 degrees) causes the seasons, not the sun’s distance from Earth. In fact, Earth is closest to the sun in early January, during the Northern Hemisphere’s winter. Myths that say the sun “moves north” or “south” are poetic ways of describing the sun’s path across the sky, which does change with the seasons.
For example, the ancient Greeks knew that the sun’s rising point shifts along the horizon. The myth of Apollo, who drives the sun chariot, includes a story where his son Phaethon loses control and scorches the earth—an explanation for deserts and the sun’s power. But the myth also reflects the danger of the sun in summer.
Sunday Worship and Seasonal Festivals
In many cultures, Sunday is not just a day of rest but also a day tied to solar festivals. In early Christianity, Sunday replaced the Jewish Sabbath (Saturday) as the day of worship. The change was gradual and not universal; some Christian groups still worship on Saturday. But by the 4th century, Sunday was the official day of rest in the Roman Empire, partly because it was already a day of sun worship.
Seasonal festivals often fall on Sundays. For example, Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox. This formula, set by the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE, ties the Christian calendar to the solar and lunar cycles. Similarly, many pagan festivals like Beltane (May 1) and Samhain (November 1) were later absorbed into Christian holidays, but they still follow seasonal markers.
Common Misconceptions
One common misconception is that the week always began on Sunday. In many cultures, it did, but in others, Monday was the first day. The Bible says God rested on the seventh day, which Jews observe as Saturday. Christians moved the day of worship to Sunday, but the week itself still has seven days. Another misconception is that all sun gods are male. In Norse and Japanese myth, the sun is female (Sól and Amaterasu). In many Slavic traditions, the sun is also personified as a female figure, though the details vary by region.
Another myth (in the modern sense) is that the name “Sunday” comes from the Norse goddess Sunna, but the English word actually comes from Old English Sunnandæg, which is a translation of the Latin dies solis. The Norse influence is indirect, through the Germanic week names that replaced the Roman ones.
How Different Cultures Handle the Solar Year
Not all cultures use a solar calendar. The Islamic calendar is purely lunar, so its months drift through the seasons. The Chinese calendar is lunisolar, with months based on the moon and years based on the sun. The Chinese New Year falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice, which is why it varies between January and February. In India, the solar calendar is used for many festivals, such as Pongal in Tamil Nadu, which marks the sun’s northward journey (Uttarayana) after the winter solstice.
These calendars show that the sun’s cycle is a universal human concern, even when the week is not. The seven-day week is a Babylonian invention, but it spread because of Roman and later Christian influence. Today, most of the world uses the Gregorian calendar, which is solar, but the week is a separate cycle that does not align with the seasons.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Sunday called the Lord’s day?
In Christian tradition, Sunday is the day of Jesus’ resurrection, so it became the day of worship. The Bible calls it “the first day of the week” (Matthew 28:1), and early Christians gathered on that day to break bread (Acts 20:7). The phrase “Lord’s day” appears in Revelation 1:10, though it may refer to Sunday or to the Day of the Lord at the end of time.
Are there any sun gods who are female?
Yes. In Norse mythology, Sól is a goddess who drives the sun chariot. In Japanese Shinto, Amaterasu is the sun goddess and the mythical ancestor of the imperial family. In some Baltic traditions, Saulė is a female sun deity. The gender of the sun varies across cultures.
Did the Romans really worship the sun on Sunday?
Yes, but not exclusively. The Roman week was based on planetary gods, and each day was dedicated to a planet. Sunday was dedicated to Sol, the sun god. Emperor Aurelian established the cult of Sol Invictus in 274 CE, and some later emperors promoted it. However, the Roman state religion was polytheistic, and Sunday was not a day of rest until Constantine made it so in 321 CE.
Is Christmas really a pagan solstice festival?
The exact origin of Christmas is uncertain. The Bible does not give Jesus’ birth date. Some scholars suggest that December 25 was chosen to coincide with existing Roman festivals like Saturnalia and Sol Invictus, but others argue that the date was calculated from the assumed date of Jesus’ conception (March 25, the spring equinox). The evidence is inconclusive, but the winter solstice certainly influenced the timing of many festivals.
How do seasons affect modern religious holidays?
Many holidays are tied to seasons. Easter is set by the spring equinox and full moon. Jewish Passover always falls in spring, and the Jewish calendar adjusts to keep it there. Hindu festivals like Diwali are based on the lunar calendar but also mark seasonal changes. Even secular holidays like New Year’s Day are solar, falling on January 1 in the Gregorian calendar.
Why This Still Matters Today
Understanding the mythic origins of Sundays and seasons helps us see how ancient people made sense of the world. The sun’s daily and yearly cycles are universal, and every culture has developed stories to explain them. These myths are not just old tales; they are embedded in our language, calendars, and holidays. When you say “Sunday,” you are speaking a word that carries thousands of years of solar worship, even if you do not think about the sun that day.
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