She wasn’t even born on a Wednesday! 🤯
The titular character of Netflix’s hit series Wednesday has many peculiar things about her, including her penchant for violence, lack of blinking, love of black and white clothing, and dancing skills. But arguably, one of the most unique things about Wednesday Addams is her name. When you hear the word “Wednesday,” you most likely think of the day of the week, and not a pale, braided-pigtailed teen. Since Morticia and Gomez Addams are undeniably eccentric, supernatural beings, it’s no surprise that their daughter would have such a distinct name. But why is Wednesday named “Wednesday”? Here’s what we know.
Why is Wednesday Addams called Wednesday?
In the first episode of the show, “Wednesday’s Child Is Full of Woe,” the eldest Addams child’s name is explained. Principal Weems comments on how unique the moniker is, guessing that the teen was born on a Wednesday and thus was named after the day. Wednesday replies that she was born on Friday the 13th (a fitting choice), with Morticia explaining that Wednesday is named after a line in her favorite, classic nursery rhyme, “Monday’s Child,” which was first recorded in A. E. Bray’s Traditions of Devonshire in 1838. The specific line Morticia likes is “Wednesday’s child is full of woe.”
The full nursery rhyme reads:
Monday’s child is fair of face,
Tuesday’s child is full of grace,
Wednesday’s child is full of woe,
Thursday’s child has far to go,
Friday’s child loving and giving,
Saturday’s child works hard for a living,
But the child who is born on the Sabbath day
Is fair and wise and good in every way.
The original 1938 comics by Charles Addams seen in The New Yorker did not include character names, but when it came time to adapt The Addams Family for their first TV series in 1964, it came time to name the roles. According to a letter actress and poet Joan Blake wrote, that was published in the July 30, 2018, issue of The New Yorker, she was the one who suggested to Addams that the daughter looked like she embodied the line. Netflix’s series kept the famous character’s name, further cementing Wednesday into the Addams family tree.
