# Do most countries have a two day weekend? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 2, 2006, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-countries-have-a-two-day-weekend/371198 "2006-09-02T13:14:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Placid\_Liver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e99b99/32.png) [@Placid\_Liver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Placid_Liver)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2006, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-countries-have-a-two-day-weekend/371198/1 "2006-09-02T13:14:35Z")
As the title says… are there are more countries with two days off per week then one day? ---
**Author:** ![yelimS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/54ee81/32.png) [@yelimS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yelimS)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2006, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-countries-have-a-two-day-weekend/371198/2 "2006-09-02T13:17:25Z")
And if I may add, what about shops closing on Sundays? ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2006, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-countries-have-a-two-day-weekend/371198/3 "2006-09-02T13:42:12Z")
South Korea has both 1 and 1/2 day weekends and 2 day weekends. Usually they alternate, but sometimes you get more 2 day weekends in a month than the other kind of weekends. And some industries have 2 day weekends only. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2006, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-countries-have-a-two-day-weekend/371198/4 "2006-09-02T14:19:29Z")
In Panama many people work 5 1/2 days (a half day on Saturday). ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2006, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-countries-have-a-two-day-weekend/371198/5 "2006-09-02T14:20:30Z")
Israel has a two day weekend, but it runs Friday to Saturday. ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-countries-have-a-two-day-weekend/371198/6 "2006-09-03T08:54:52Z")
[QUOTE=yelimS] And if I may add, what about shops closing on Sundays? [/QUOTE] This is currently a big issue in Germany. The German constitution contains a clause granting legal protection to Sundays and official holidays as days of rest. Based on this, German federal legislation (called _Ladenschlussgesetz_ , Shop Closing Act) has for decades prohibited opening stores on Sundays, excluding gas stations, shops in train stations and airports selling goods to travellers, and also excluding shops in touristically important areas. Besides, there are exception clauses for certain times of the year, for example the Sundays before Christmas. Many city administrations are under pressure from large stores that wish to open on Sundays, so those exceptions are interpreted quite widely nowadays. There’s now considerable political support for dropping the Sunday closure rules altogether. There arer strange coalitions coming up here, because the lobbies opposing this liberalization include left-wing unions (worried that the working hours of their members are increased) and conservatives and the churches (worried about the profanization of the holy day). Personally, I’m in favor of allowing shops to open on Sundays - after all, it’s hardly of the government’s business to decide when a shopkeeper wants to open his business. I also expect the prohibition to be lifted in the next few years. ---
**Author:** ![FRDE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e68b1a/32.png) [@FRDE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FRDE)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-countries-have-a-two-day-weekend/371198/7 "2006-09-03T09:51:14Z")
[QUOTE=Placid Liver] As the title says… are there are more countries with two days off per week then one day? [/QUOTE] I don’t know whether this is still the case, but in Japan Saturday used to be a ‘trading day’ for the Financial Markets ---
**Author:** ![gouda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c77e96/32.png) [@gouda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gouda)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-countries-have-a-two-day-weekend/371198/8 "2006-09-03T10:10:43Z")
The Indian government is off on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of every month, and all Sundays. Corporates are free to choose their weekend structures. Most have a 5.5 day week. Few, if any, have a 6 day week. There are no restrictions on stores, supermarkets, malls, etc. Most are open all day everyday, while some choose to down shutters on Sunday afternoons. I’m living in the UAE now. This country used to have a Thursday-Friday weekend, until this past weekend when they switched over to a Friday-Saturday format. Companies here have a 5 or 5.5 day work week. There are no restrictions on stores here either, though the summer months see most storeowners downing shutters in the afternoons. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-countries-have-a-two-day-weekend/371198/9 "2006-09-03T10:24:26Z")
The situation in the Netherlands is exactly the same as **Schnitte** describes in Germany. The Netherlands have a 2 day weekend, with stores closed on Sunday and Monday(morning). However, working four days a week becomes increasingly normal, so many people have friday off as well. On a side note, I have always thought Sunday shopping in the USA odd. In the Netherlands the Christian Party believes it is a fundamental fight, one that identifies them as Christians, to ensure Sunday Shopping doesn’t catch on. The Christian parties want to keep it that way, on the grounds, quite rightly in their line of reasoning, that no less then four of the Ten Commandments order us to “Honour The Sabbath.” and not have you _or_ your “servants” work that day. This in sharp contrast with the USA, where Sunday is THE day for shopping. Personally, I think the explanation for this is that Sunday shopping is vital to the USA economic system; when you have people working at all hours, they have to be able to shop at all hours (or the other way around, I’m not sure ). But still, it has always struck me as odd that Christian fundies in the USA don’t even think twice about breaking four of the ten Commandments every Sunday, but go berserk when it comes to inconclusively condemned things like homosexuality. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-countries-have-a-two-day-weekend/371198/10 "2006-09-03T10:44:45Z")
[QUOTE=ultrafilter] Israel has a two day weekend, but it runs Friday to Saturday. [/QUOTE] Sort of. Friday is a “half-day” - most businesses are closed, shops and government offices are open till 2 PM or so, and it’s a school day. Most stores are closed from Friday afternoon until Saturday evening (if not Sunday). Restaurants and such (the “entertainment sector”) are open in most of the country. Just like in the European cases mentioned above, who or what gets to stay open on Saturday is a major religious/secular flashpoint. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-countries-have-a-two-day-weekend/371198/11 "2006-09-03T13:29:13Z")
Reading the replies here really makes me question whether the U.S. has a two day weekend, something else, or not one at all. Many people get two days off a some point but there really isn’t that much difference between a Friday and Saturday at least around here. Almost everything is open. Sunday has more closings but most of the big, important stuff to consumers is important as well. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-countries-have-a-two-day-weekend/371198/12 "2006-09-03T15:20:55Z")
[QUOTE=Maastricht] But still, it has always struck me as odd that Christian fundies in the USA don’t even think twice about breaking four of the ten Commandments every Sunday[.] [/QUOTE] What makes you think they’re not around? They’re just not as vocal a minority as, say, the creation-first group. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-countries-have-a-two-day-weekend/371198/13 "2006-09-03T15:26:42Z")
This British woman who had lived in Shanghai told me that hey really had no concept of a weekend and worked everyday, but maybe she just meant the poor. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-countries-have-a-two-day-weekend/371198/14 "2006-09-03T15:37:46Z")
[QUOTE=Shagnasty] question whether the U.S. has a two day weekend, something else, or not one at all…there really isn’t that much difference between a Friday and Saturday. **Almost everything is open.** [/QUOTE] You mean everything _which sells to private individuals_ is open. But the vast majority of people don’t work at the shops with a cash register and an “open” sign on the door. The multi-story office buildings are not “open”. In most American cities, the downtown area is totally dead on Sat and Sunday, but it sure gets busy Monday morning. ---
**Author:** ![Bob55](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Bob55](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob55)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-countries-have-a-two-day-weekend/371198/15 "2006-09-04T01:30:12Z")
When I was in Italy, they had off Saturday and Sunday, but took a very, very lazy Monday. Like work a couple hours in the morning, take a 3 hour lunch, and then work a few in the evening. I think we should import this 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-countries-have-a-two-day-weekend/371198/16 "2006-09-04T02:05:57Z")
[QUOTE=Alessan] Sort of. Friday is a “half-day” - most businesses are closed, shops and government offices are open till 2 PM or so, and it’s a school day. [/QUOTE] So school there is Monday through Friday? Are schools ever open on Sunday? Colleges? ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-countries-have-a-two-day-weekend/371198/17 "2006-09-04T03:13:40Z")
[QUOTE=Maastricht] …But still, it has always struck me as odd that Christian fundies in the USA don’t even think twice about breaking four of the ten Commandments every Sunday, but go berserk when it comes to inconclusively condemned things like homosexuality. [/QUOTE] Around noon on Sundays we’ve always gotten a rush of well-dressed people. Sunday morning, dead, but as soon as the clock struck 12 the churches started letting out and almost packs of customers would invade the store. The “Jesus ladies” were especially funny as they’d always try to pass out pamphlets and go on and on about how “we should all follow the Bible”. Yet ---
**Author:** ![yelimS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/54ee81/32.png) [@yelimS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yelimS)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-countries-have-a-two-day-weekend/371198/18 "2006-09-04T08:43:53Z")
I’m rather curious about how any commandment except 4 can be interpreted as banning shops on Sundays. Also, I thought the sabbath was on Saturdays. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-countries-have-a-two-day-weekend/371198/19 "2006-09-04T09:30:06Z")
[QUOTE=yelimS] I’m rather curious about how any commandment except 4 can be interpreted as banning shops on Sundays. Also, I thought the sabbath was on Saturdays. [/QUOTE] There are [at least two different versions of the Ten Commandments in the Bible](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Commandments), just like there are two (conflicting) versions of the story of Adam and Eve. This is the version of the Ten Commandments from [Exodus 20](http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/bible/exodus/exodus20.htm) > [@](#): > > 1 Then God delivered all these commandments: > 2 "I, the LORD, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery. > 3 You shall not have other gods besides me. > 4 You shall not carve idols for yourselves in the shape of anything in the sky above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth; > 5 you shall not bow down before them or worship them. For I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous God, inflicting punishment for their fathers’ wickedness on the children of those who hate me, down to the third and fourth generation; > 6 but bestowing mercy down to the thousandth generation, on the children of those who love me and keep my commandments. > 7 "You shall not take the name of the LORD, your God, in vain. For the LORD will not leave unpunished him who takes his name in vain. > 8 "\*\*Remember to keep holy the sabbath day. > 9 Six days you may labor and do all your work, > 10 but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD, your God. No work may be done then either by you, or your son or daughter, or your male or female slave, or your beast, or by the alien who lives with you. > 11 In six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the LORD has blessed the sabbath day and made it holy. \*\* > 12 "Honor your father and your mother, that you may have a long life in the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you. > 13 "You shall not kill. > 14 "You shall not commit adultery. > 15 "You shall not steal. > 16 "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. > 17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male or female slave, nor his ox or ass, nor anything else that belongs to him.” And as for the age-old question on which, exactly, should be the Sabath(Sunday, Saturday or Friday)… well, I don’t see any Christians advocating a shopping ban on Saturday or Friday either. ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-countries-have-a-two-day-weekend/371198/20 "2006-09-04T09:33:55Z")
As **Masstricht** points out, the Ten Commandment passage in the Bible is not divided into several Commandments, but one continous text, which is why there are different versions of splitting it up into single rules (I believe Jewish tradition has the “not carve idols” sentence as a separate Commandment, while Christians usually add it to the “no other god beside me” thing). But I guess all the common versions agree that the bold passages in Masstricht’s post form one Commandment, not four of them. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-countries-have-a-two-day-weekend/371198.md?page=2)