With the Netflix series proving popular, fans and non-fans are undoubtedly wondering, why is Wednesday called Wednesday in The Addams Family. The Wednesday Netflix show does mention a reason, but was that always the case in the original Addams Family movies, series, or comics? What is the origin of the name Wednesday Addams?
Why is Wednesday Addams called Wednesday?
According to Morticia on the Netflix series, Wednesday is named after a line in her favorite nursery rhyme, ‘Wednesday’s child is full of woe.’ This is the name of the first episode of the season. It is also where creator Charles Addams got the name for the character during the making of the 1960s Addams Family TV series.
The classic 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 comics by Charles Addams did not include character names. When it came time to adapt The Addams Family to their first TV series in 1964, the actress and poet Joan Blake suggested to Addams that the pale daughter looked like she embodied the line. Thanks to the Netflix show starring Jenny Ortega, the origin of Wednesday’s name is now canon.
It is not the first time the ‘Monday’s child’ nursery rhyme has been used in popular culture, either. ‘Friday’s Child’ is the name of a Star Trek: The Original Series episode from the 1960s. It is also the name used for several songs.
The Wednesday TV series is available to stream now on Netflix. Here is everything known about season 2 of Wednesday, including a possible release date.
