Egyptian Days
Egyptian Days
Various
Up until the 17th century in England, these were commonly thought to be unlucky days throughout the year. Popular almanacs would list them as days on which to avoid such important activities as weddings, blood letting (a standard way of treating various illnesses), and traveling. No one knew why certain days were considered unlucky. In fact, which days were Egyptian Days seems to have depended upon which almanac was consulted; apparently, there was never any standard list that was widely circulated.
Although it is not known for sure why they were referred to as the Egyptian Days, it's possible that they were first computed by Egyptian astrologers or were somehow related to the Egyptian plagues. They were also known as the Dismal Days, from Latin dies mali (meaning "evil days").
Although it is not known for sure why they were referred to as the Egyptian Days, it's possible that they were first computed by Egyptian astrologers or were somehow related to the Egyptian plagues. They were also known as the Dismal Days, from Latin dies mali (meaning "evil days").
SOURCES:
BkDays-1864, vol. I, p. 41
DictDays-1988, pp. 31, 36
OxYear-1999, pp. 195, 360, 590
BkDays-1864, vol. I, p. 41
DictDays-1988, pp. 31, 36
OxYear-1999, pp. 195, 360, 590
Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations of the World Dictionary, Fourth Edition. © 2010 by Omnigraphics, Inc.