American Calendars

[mikey4444]

I have just received my calendar from friends in Michigan.

Once again, I notice that American Calendars start each week on a Sunday, while ours start with a Monday. Anybody any idea why ?

[CrapAtCryptics]

I always thought Sunday was the first day of the week - but more diaries are starting on a Monday now - if you are religious Sunday is the last day of the week.

[mikey4444]

I always thought that Christians regarded Sunday as the start of the week, and that the Sabbath was on a Saturday, as it still is for Jews.

My friend in Michigan is a Veterinary Surgeon and she always displays my calendar as a British "novelty" !

[SlackAlice]

Despite all that my rota work week always started on a Saturday!!

[Old_Geezer]

IMO A week, like a piece of string, has two ends. The first is the Sunday when we consider the week commencing, and the next is the Saturday when we consider the week finishing.

However some find it useful to group the week days together as it is the normal working week for most employees, and group the the weekend days together because those are the days most are taking a work from paid employment. So one can understand the "American" format, it just shouldn't be interpreted to imply a Monday commencement to the week.

[mikey4444]

OG....I can't think of anywhere, apart from a religion, that still considers Sunday to be the first day of the week.

When we talk about a "weekend" we are referring to Saturday and Sunday, not Friday and Saturday. All my diaries over the last 20 years have shown Monday as the start of the week.

We had a discussion recently about Sunday opening of big shops, but I can't recall any mention of stopping shops from shops for opening on a Monday
(apart from John Lewis)

If we call Sunday the Sabbath, as most Christians do, when did that change from a Saturday ? Some of the more esoteric so-called Christian sects still refer to the Sabbath as a Saturday.

Its all very confusing !

it doesn't matter of course, but I was wondering why its so different in America ?

[dannyk13]

My English calendar starts the weeks on a Sunday.

[gness]

Hi Mikey......apologies for butting in here but just in case you don't go back to Tilly's thread can you answer my question on Primark please......it's important that I know...

Thanks Gx

[Sqad]

With the slow but sure Isolationism of the west, the calendars starting the week on a Saturday may well be the order of the day....;-)

[Sqad]

Islamisation.......NOT Isolationism........

[mikey4444]

Gness....answered now for you !

[mikey4444]

lol Sqad....by the way...Good Morning !

[vulcan42]

If calendars are based on the Christian religion then Sunday is the last day of the week. Seven days in a week and on the seventh day, Sunday, God rested.

[mikey4444]

Vulcan....I agree with you but is that Biblical translation of the original Greek
correct ?

It sounds like a bowdlerisation for The King James Bible to me.

[dannyk13]

Mikey, thinking back every calendar I have had started the week on a Sunday

[Old_Geezer]

Naturally we talk about a "weekend" referring to Saturday and Sunday, but ignore it is two different ends slammed together. Thus my first paragraph above.

[atalanta]

It seems that americans think that their week begins with their day of rest, whereas we have to work for six days before we have earned our day of rest.

[mikey4444]

lol Atalanta !