Cada martes tiene su domingo (Every cloud has a silver lining)
“Cada martes tiene su domingo” (“every cloud has a silver lining” but literally, “every Tuesday has its Sunday”) is an enigmatic Spanish proverb. So, what does it mean exactly? The literal meaning could be explained as having to do with the fact that, as far as we know, every week has a Tuesday and a Sunday.
Ok, so let’s break it down. We assume that in Spain, Sunday is the day of rest; it’s a day for waking up late, having lunch with friends, taking long walks… it’s a happy day. On the other hand, there’s Tuesday. Add the knowledge that on Tuesday there is still a long week ahead of us, to the fatigue we feel from Monday, and we’ve got a hard day.
So, we’ve got the contrast of something very happy with something very sad. And that’s what this proverb means: that for every bad thing that happens, we can find some good; that we have to be optimistic, and that from everything negative, comes something positive.
If we really think about it, it’s a puzzling proverb given the Spanish tendency towards tragic fatalism. Maybe it’s for this reason that the saying is now in disuse; although it’s never a bad thing to remember that we're also capable of positive thinking.
What do you think? Is it true that “cada martes tiene su domingo” (every cloud has a silver lining)?