From the Incredibly Stupid Question Files: What's the first day of the week?

In My Humble Opinion
1

If you think I’m putting a question this stupid in GQ, you’ve got another think (don’t start with me) coming.

Until a little less than a year ago, I have always considered Sunday to be the first day of the week. I don’t know why, except I think most of the calendars I’ve ever owned had Sunday listed first. When I recited the days, I started with Sunday. I can’t be the only one who sees it this way…

Now that I have moved out of the States, I begin to realize that everywhere, but everywhere, else I have been considers Monday to be the first day of the week. It’s always the first day on the calendar, businesses list their hours as “Monday-Sunday”, etc.

I mean, it makes sense… Sunday is part of the week-END, right? But then, (and you’ll have to forgive the inanity of my inner arguments) you have bookends, which fall on either side…

Anyway.

What day is the first day of the week?

2

Sunday

3

In the U.S., it is almost Sunday.

4

Two questions in, and I’m already feeling better. I knew I couldn’t be the only one…

5

Well being that I now work seven days a week out here in the wonderful Iraq, I would have to say everyday is the beginning of the week. I always have a case of the Monday’s.

6

Monday pretty much anywhere outside the US, except that Israelis might count it as Saturday.

7

It seems that the Iraqi’s here count it as Saturday as well. Friday is their holy day and day of rest.

8

I always thought Sunday, but my clock-radio thinks Monday is for its “weekend sleeper” function. I think it’s made by Sony, so I guess Japan says Monday in day 1.

I agree that Monday makes more sense.

9

It seems that the Iraqi’s here count it as Saturday as well. Friday is their holy day and day of rest. We pretty much adopt that way of thinking while we are here in order to help keep the meetings and all that.

10

Sunday is the first day of the week, Monday is the first day of the work week. At least that’s how it works in my world…

11

My opinion is that Monday is the first day of the week, the weekend is Saturday and Sunday and not split between two weekends. Make sense? So the week should start on a Monday.

12

I have always heard of Sunday as the first. They are called week ends because they are at the ends. Sunday at one end, Saturday at the other. Sort of like bookends. If the week starts on Saturday, wouldn’t that make Friday a week end also? As in:
Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday Friday.
Then we could start again. “Well, If Friday and Saturday are the weekend, then is Sunday the first day of the week?”

13

Well, Saturday and Sunday are called the “weekend”, therefore Monday should be the first day of the week.

I seem to recall something about calendars being made with Sunday as the first day as part of some reason to take worker’s minds of the weekend (note: this is probably crazy talk).

14

My workplace counts Monday as the first day, which makes sense.

The state counts Sunday as the beginning of the week.

We found this out, quite unhappily, when my normal work week included Sundays and I would be laid off a week here and there. “Did you have any income in this period?” Well, the answer had to be yes since we had worked Sunday, even though it was a previous pay period for our company. All those folks working the shift that included Sundays got 1/4 the unemployment compensation for our scheduled weeks of lay-off.

15

According to Trivial Pursuit, circa 1981, it’s Sunday. To think I got a pie slice last night for answering that silly question…

16

Tangentially relevant Straight Dope columns: Why are there seven days in a week? and Why do Christians worship on Sunday when the Bible says the Sabbath is on Saturday?

How about this: Monday is the 1st day of the week and Sunday is the 0th day of the week.

17

No, Saturday is the last day of the week in Israel. In fact, the Hebrew word for Sunday translates as “First Day” (and Monday is “Second Day” and so on til Friday). The weekend in Israel is Friday and Saturday. Sunday’s a work day.

18

Here in Australia it’s Monday, I had never heard of the Sunday possibility until I worked for a US company.