Sunday

Sunday ( Old High German OHG sunnun day or Fron (o ) day, Herrntag ', this Latin solis " day of the sun " and this dominica, Greek κυριακὴ ἡμέρα ( kyriake Hemera ) " day of the Lord Jesus Christ " is now in the German speaking part of seventh day of the week, cultural history, but the first.

Legal regulations

Virtually all European countries have legal restrictions on Sunday work. So Sunday rest is regulated by law in Germany and constitutionally protected especially (Article 140 of the Basic Law ). She goes into their origins back to the Commercial Code Amendment dated 1 June 1891 by Kaiser Wilhelm II.

Christian meaning

In most countries influenced by Christianity, Sunday is the weekly holiday on which in almost all the churches of worship is celebrated as a celebration of the death and resurrection of Christ on the " first day of the week" (Mt 28.1 EU). According to Jewish tradition begins with Sunday the seven-day week, which opens into the Sabbath as the seventh day, which ends on Saturday evening.

Development of Sunday

Basically, the course of the year was divided mainly by periodic festivals in the Greco-Roman antiquity. Within months, have been highlighted ( in Roman times: calends, nones, ides ) regionally different days. For the early Roman period, the Nundinalwoche (8- day cycle ) is as general liability highly controversial, in Greek poleis but is often a 10 - day cycle to find (decade ). With the original Babylonian seven -day week and the names of the days of the ancient seven planets were taken ( including the Sun and Moon) by the Romans and Greeks. As early as Gaius Julius Caesar a consideration of the Jewish Sabbath week is busy. That was the name of the first day, which was dedicated to the sun, Greek and Latin Hemera Hêliou this solis. Legally, the binding nature of this seven -day week shall be made ​​only with the Emperor Constantine from 321 AD in the legislation on labor and judicial Tags freedom of Sunday. Removal of the week assigned by the Germans in the 4th century AD, they translated the term to "Sunday", Old High German sunnûntag. In Romance languages ​​, the church Latin name Dominica sat through this (day of the Lord), as in French dimanche.

Early Christianity

The early Jewish Christians who still remembered how Jesus of Nazareth of Shabbat and kept him as a calm and Peace.

" Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy! Six days you shall labor and do all your work. The seventh day is dedicated to the sabbath of the Lord thy God. In him you may not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, and the stranger that is within thy gates: right. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea has made and everything that goes with it; on the seventh day he rested. Therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it. Gen 2.3 EU) "

The celebration of this peace and prayer day was moved solis of the Gentile Christians commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ on this. Because this resurrection on the third day according to the Gospels, after the Crucifixion of Christ, that is, after the Sabbath, was carried out, which was thought by the Gentile Christians as the Lord's Day. The thus -derived name day of the Lord is still alive today in many Romance languages ​​as a designation of Sunday continued: French dimanche, Italian domenica, spa. domingo are derived from this dominicus or this dominica, the Latin translation of the Greek Kyriake Hemera, from.

The significance of Sunday is already the beginning of the 2nd century by the Didache ( datings vary betw 80 and 180), and later by Pliny, the Epistle of Barnabas ( about 100 in Alexandria ), by Ignatius of Antioch (c. 110 in Asia) by Justin martyr and Irenaeus of Lyon testified ( 180 ).

This suggests that the custom was already widespread at the time of the oldest written sources. What is not, however, suggests it is a continuous " sanctity " of Sunday in the sense of a day of rest from work. Rather, it seems to be for most Christians to a gathering of the gifts in front of the business on the first day of the week (for Paul) and a spiritual strengthening before beginning work traded ( Sunday as a business day) to have. Even Jesus did not rest on the first day at his resurrection (Luke 24 LUT) ).

For the non-observance of Shabbat and the introduction of the Sunday celebration and commemoration at the Gentile Christians, the following is cited as the reason: The early Jewish Christians who went to synagogue services on Shabbat, read the Scriptures and understand them differently than other ancient currents of Judaism. The day of the Lord was anticipation of God's judgment and world completion, the eschatological Day of the Lord. In rabbinic Judaism he represents a day of longing expectation of the universal world peace of the Messianic times and the world to come

A second reason was added: for the Gentile Christians Jesus Christ was Lord and God ( Kyrios ) and not the Roman emperor, the divine title "Lord " ( Kyrios ) laid claim. With the celebration of the Day of the Lord, Christians distanced from the deified Roman emperor and the imperial cult, and so was her day of the Lord to the lived faith and in a sense also a political issue.

From the 3rd century there were in addition to the Ebionites several times us little-known groups, which also celebrated the Sabbath in parallel with the Day of the Lord, such as the Albigenses.

Late Roman Empire

In the year 321 Constantine I declared this solis to compulsory holiday, even for Christians and Mithraists.

Urgent agricultural labor is excluded at Constantinople. This day was celebrated with the followers of Mithraskults, the predominantly Roman soldiers adhered to, the holy day that the Gentile Christians celebrated as the Day of the Lord. Konstantin could therefore serve two major religions with this edict, though he had himself on coins as Sol Invictus ( unconquered sun) shape.

Middle Ages

During the early Middle Ages Sunday rest in today's German-speaking countries was not an issue, developed in the course of the Middle Ages ecclesiastical commandments: Christians had to participate in the worship service, Sunday sacrilege ( Sunday work ) endangers the salvation. The same applied to a gradually growing use of religious holidays.

Reformation

During the Reformation, the absolute work-free Sunday was not much, it was in the Sunday worship primarily to the church attendance. Most other religious holidays were abolished.

Modern Times

In the 17th century came through the influenced by the Puritans Pietists again a sabbath like Sunday observance, which became less and less respected in the following centuries because of industrialization.

It was not until the late 19th century came back first labor laws that restricted the work on Sunday (eg Swiss Factory Act of 1877).

The Weimar Constitution put 1919 firmly in Article 139: The Sunday and holidays recognized by the state remain protected by law as days of rest from work and of spiritual elevation. Under Article 140 of the Basic Law of 1949, the articles of the Weimar constitution is " an integral part of this Basic Law ."

Presence

The economic pressure by machines whose load time should be at least 24 hours every day of the week, prevails against both the traditional religious and against the social and humanitarian reasons. Recent labor laws allow more and more exceptions for Sunday. In this respect, the Sunday as a " great heritage" ( Cardinal Reinhard Marx) is to be protected, especially as we " subordinate economic " shaping life more and more of ( Heinrich Bedford - Strohm ).

In the European law of the non-working Sunday was anchored until well into the 90s - then tipped the European Court of Justice in the clause. Since then, it's up to the individual countries: So until the end of 2013 a British court ruled that Christian workers work on Sundays must not refuse with reference to their faith. In contrast, now encourages resistance: 2011, the European Sunday Alliance, "European Sunday Alliance ," founded. Unions, churches, sports associations and social organizations are thus for the preservation of the work-free Sunday as part of the European cultural heritage one.

In addition to Judaism and Christianity and Islam knows the seven-day holiday rhythm. In many Islamic countries Friday takes on the role of the rest day, the day before was not a day off, but only the midday anyone visiting the mosque should be allowed. Work free day was Friday in Islamic countries in the 20th century - similar to Sunday in Christian countries. As in Arabic on Sunday called " yom al ahad " (first day ) bears this name can be found as Arabic loanword or as a translation in the languages ​​of most Muslims ( Arabic, Iranian / Tajik, Tatar, Malay / Indonesian ).

Special

The Hamburg Fish Market, which is held on Sundays and public holidays starts to 5, in the winter at 7 clock in the morning, ending at 9:30 clock. The early opening times go to the historic fish market, held since 1703, back: the perishable fish should be sold on Sundays in front of the church clock at ten.

The Scottish athlete Eric Liddell refused as deeply devout Christian at the Olympic Games in Paris in 1924 to lead his specialist discipline, the 100-meter run, to compete as this took place on a Sunday. Instead, he has been discharged surprising and with a new world record holder in the 400 - meter race at the prelims and finals on working days. These events were picked up Chariots of Fire (English Chariots of Fire) in 1981 released movie.

In the Netherlands prohibits a law from 1954, the football games before 13 clock.