Thursday traditions

Thursday around the world

Thursday is Thor's day in English and Jupiter's day in Latin languages, and in India, Guruvar or Brihaspativar, the day of the teacher. Many Hindus dedicate it to Brihaspati, the guru of the gods, and to Vishnu, and some fast and wear yellow, while followers of Sai Baba of Shirdi go to his shrines and give food. Muslims who keep voluntary fasts do so on Mondays and Thursdays, and Jews read from the Torah in synagogue on Mondays and Thursdays, the old market days. Christians keep Maundy Thursday, the day of the Last Supper, with a foot-washing service. In Poland, Fat Thursday, Tłusty Czwartek, is the day to eat pączki doughnuts, and in the United States, Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of November.

Customs of Thursday

• Brihaspati 🇮🇳🇳🇵: The teacher of the gods, honoured on Thursdays with yellow flowers and chickpea sweets.
• Sai Baba of Shirdi 🇮🇳: Thursday is the main weekly day for his devotees, with aarti and shared meals.
• Maundy Thursday 🇬🇧🇪🇸🇮🇹🇵🇭🇲🇽🇩🇪: The commemoration of the Last Supper, with foot-washing and the stripping of the altar.
• Fat Thursday 🇵🇱🇩🇪🇮🇹: The last Thursday before Lent, with doughnuts in Poland and Karneval in Germany.
• Torah reading 🇮🇱🇺🇸🇬🇧: Jewish communities read from the Torah on Monday and Thursday mornings.
• Thor 🇸🇪🇳🇴🇩🇰🇮🇸🇬🇧: The Norse god whose name gives the day in the Germanic languages.

On EveryParampara

Maundy ThursdayThe commemoration of the Last Supper, with foot-washing and the stripping of the altar.Fat ThursdayThe last Thursday before Lent, with doughnuts in Poland and Karneval in Germany.Torah readingJewish communities read from the Torah on Monday and Thursday mornings.

More on Thursday

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