Black Monday
Preserved but no longer current.
Easter Monday, April 14th, 1360, was so called. Edward III was with his army lying before Paris, and the day was so dark, with mist and hail, so bitterly cold and so windy, that many of his horses and men died. Monday after Easter holidays is called "Black Monday," in allusion to this fatal day.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Black Monday” mean?
Easter Monday, April 14th, 1360, was so called. Edward III was with his army lying before Paris, and the day was so dark, with mist and hail, so bitterly cold and so windy, that many of his horses and men died. Monday after Easter holidays is called "Black Monday," in allusion to this fatal day.
Is “Black Monday” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.