Wednesday is the third day of the week in English-speaking countries. The name has pagan origins and is taken from the Old English for Woden’s Day.
Since the introduction of the five day work week, Wednesday has been considered the middle of the working week. In American colloquial English, it is often referred to as ‘hump day’, since arriving at Wednesday means that workers are “over the hump” of the week.
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Christian season of Lent.