Brewer's: Friday Street

(London). The street of fishmongers who served Friday markets. (Stow.)

Friday and Columbus

Friday, August 3rd, 1492, Columbus started on his voyage of discovery. Friday, October 12th, 1492, he first sighted land. Friday, January 4th, 1493, he started on his return journey. Friday, March 12th, 1493, he safely arrived at Palos. Friday, November 22nd, 1493, he reached Hispaniola in his second expedition. Friday, June 13th, 1494, he discovered the continent of America.

Friday and the United States

Friday, June 17th 1775, was fought the battle of Bunker's Hill. Friday, July 17th, 1776, the motion was made by John Adams that the United States are and ought to be independent, Friday, October 17th, 1777, Saratoga surrendered. Friday, September 22nd, 1780, the treason of Arnold was exposed. To these Fridays should be added:

Friday, July 13th, 1866, the Great Eastern sailed from Valentia, and on Friday, July 27th, 1866, landed safely with the cable at Heart's Ease, Newfoundland.

Friday a Lucky Day

Sir William Churchill says, “Friday is my lucky day. I was born, christened, married, and knighted on that day; and all my best accidents have befallen me on a Friday.”

In Scotland Friday is a choice day for weddings. Not so in England.

He who laughs on Friday will weep on Sunday.

Sorrow follows in the wake of joy. The line is taken from Racine's comedy of Les Plaideurs.

Friday

an Unlucky Day Because it was the day of our Lord's crucifixion; it is accordingly a fast-day in the Roman Catholic Church. Soames says, “Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit on a Friday, and died on a Friday.” (Anglo-Saxon Church, p. 255.)

But once on a Friday ('tis ever they say), A day when misfortune is aptest to fall.

Saxe: Good Dog of Bretté, stanza 3.

In Spain, Friday is held to be an unlucky day. So is it esteemed by Buddhists and Brahmins. The old Romans called it nefastus, from the utter overthrow of their army at Gallia Narbonensis. And in England the proverb is that a Friday moon brings foul weather.

Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894

Friend

Friday