# My Annual Mon-Sun Calender Rant **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 13, 2009, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-annual-mon-sun-calender-rant/517410 "2009-11-13T04:26:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-annual-mon-sun-calender-rant/517410/21 "2009-11-13T14:33:22Z")
Either system is fine by me but I wish it were standardized. I like pictorial nature-scenes wall calendars from New Zealand and from Holland (and btw, my birthday’s coming up soon! 😉 ), but the New Zealand ones (like American ones) start the week with Sunday while the Dutch ones start with Monday. If I’m not very careful to check the weekday column heading whenever I look at the calendar I can screw up my scheduling big time. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-annual-mon-sun-calender-rant/517410/22 "2009-11-13T15:02:02Z")
Google Calendar, without which I would be lost, runs Mon - Sun. So does my iPhone one. Makes sense to me. Bite my calendar! ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-annual-mon-sun-calender-rant/517410/23 "2009-11-13T15:09:12Z")
Moved from The BBQ Pit to Mundane Pointless Stuff I Must Share. \*\* Gfactor\*\* Pit Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Mikkel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikkel/32/13151_2.png) [@Mikkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikkel)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-annual-mon-sun-calender-rant/517410/24 "2009-11-13T15:48:08Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Jesus H. Christ! What is it about calendar companies that they have to put out calendars with the weeks running Monday to Sunday instead of Sunday to Saturday, like God intended?!? I can see your problem but theologically speaking, didn’t God rest on the seventh day in Genesis? In that case Sunday is intended by God himself to be the seventh and last day of the week the way we do it in Europe. ---
**Author:** ![ColdPhoenix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@ColdPhoenix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColdPhoenix)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-annual-mon-sun-calender-rant/517410/25 "2009-11-13T15:55:35Z")
> [@shantih](#): > > I mean, seriously, who is so in love with Monday that they want to see it in the most prominent position of the week, setting the tone for the whole week to follow? No thanks, I’ll start my week as it was meant to be started, with a relaxing, pleasant Sunday. Nah, I want to start the week on a Monday. It means the week just keeps getting better. ---
**Author:** ![Vihaga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Vihaga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vihaga)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-annual-mon-sun-calender-rant/517410/26 "2009-11-13T16:00:30Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Google Calendar, without which I would be lost, runs Mon - Sun. So does my iPhone one. Makes sense to me. > > Bite my calendar! Weird, I have a google calendar, haven’t changed anything on it, and it runs Sun-Sat. ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-annual-mon-sun-calender-rant/517410/27 "2009-11-13T16:03:15Z")
> [@Vihaga](#): > > Weird, I have a google calendar, haven’t changed anything on it, and it runs Sun-Sat. Google calendar, like any good piece of calendar software, can be configured to start the week on Sun, Mon, or Sat. It uses your location to set the default – so Sun for the US and Mon for Europe, but you can change it in Settings-\>General. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-annual-mon-sun-calender-rant/517410/28 "2009-11-13T16:04:05Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Jesus H. Christ! What is it about calendar companies that they have to put out calendars with the weeks running Monday to Sunday instead of Sunday to Saturday, like God intended?!? ¡UNA LECHE! The first day of the week is Monday, dagnabit! I think this is one of those things, like cauliflower and how to place the toilet paper on its holder. Seriously. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-annual-mon-sun-calender-rant/517410/29 "2009-11-13T17:29:54Z")
I work in broadcasting, where the week is Mon-Sun. It’s perfectly natural to me. Maybe you need to order Sun-Sat calendars from the States? ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-annual-mon-sun-calender-rant/517410/30 "2009-11-13T17:32:07Z")
> [@shantih](#): > > Monday-Sunday calendars are the great destroyer. They bring uncertainty and confusion to an already topsy-turvy world. > > I mean, seriously, who is so in love with Monday that they want to see it in the most prominent position of the week, setting the tone for the whole week to follow? No thanks, I’ll start my week as it was meant to be started, with a relaxing, pleasant Sunday. My sentiments exactly. I like to start AND end my week on a nice relaxing non-work day. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-annual-mon-sun-calender-rant/517410/31 "2009-11-13T17:36:55Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > I think this is one of those things, like cauliflower and how to place the toilet paper on its holder. Seriously. I’m considering a jihad against Australia to make them start their weeks on Sunday, as God clearly intended. No, this has nothing to do with the fact that the sun is setting way too early here and Australia might have some nice spring weather right now. ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-annual-mon-sun-calender-rant/517410/32 "2009-11-13T19:32:06Z")
> [@Mikkel](#): > > I can see your problem but theologically speaking, didn’t God rest on the seventh day in Genesis? In that case Sunday is intended by God himself to be the seventh and last day of the week the way we do it in Europe. The seventh day of rest from Genesis is the Sabbath, which is Saturday (nightfall Friday to nightfall Saturday for Jewish observances), (Most) Christians have changed to [Sunday](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabbath#Christian_tradition) for the major religious day of the week as this was the day of the resurrection. Why calendars continue to use the older Sabbath as the end of the week I don’t know. I prefer Monday to Sunday. This matches both the most common religious week as well as the standard secular week for my part of the world. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2009, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-annual-mon-sun-calender-rant/517410/33 "2009-11-14T00:09:31Z")
> [@nicole1912](#): > > I’ve never seen a Sunday-Saturday calendar before, and I suspect they are vanishingly rare in most of Europe. For the reasons **Martini Enfield** so capably outlined. > > So, clearly the tourist calendars are aimed at us Europeans **Siam Sam**. Sorry about that. > [@footballisplayedwithyourfeet](#): > > Well, I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a sunday-saturday calendar. I can see how it would be anoying to switch, I really wouldn’t be happy if I would’ve to star using a sunday-saturday calandar all of a sudden. Never saw a …? Lordy, and here I thought Europeans were supposed to be more advanced. I can’t even imagine life without Sun-Sat calendars. Pretty much all the other calendars you find here are Sun-Sat. The artist and animal themed ones, and all the others. Do they all come from the US? Possible, I guess. It’s a cosmic joke that the only theme I’m looking for is the only one that runs Mon-Sun. > [@Nava](#): > > I think this is one of those things, like cauliflower and how to place the toilet paper on its holder. Seriously. Toilet paper goes over. > [@Zsofia](#): > > Well, that sucks. I would totally buy a “King of Thailand in a Santa hat” calendar. You can get arrested here for saying that, ya know. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2009, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-annual-mon-sun-calender-rant/517410/34 "2009-11-14T00:50:20Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > I work in broadcasting, where the week is Mon-Sun. > > It’s perfectly natural to me. Maybe you need to order Sun-Sat calendars from the States? I have worked in broadcasting for 20 years and haven’t noticed this as a standard. Are you talking about traffic schedules? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2009, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-annual-mon-sun-calender-rant/517410/35 "2009-11-14T01:00:40Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > Hey, if we’re going to point fingers at the Europeans, I think it should be for their frankly baffling misuse of commas in place of decimal points. > > I’m constantly amazed by how people try and argue that Monday isn’t the start of the week, in all honesty. The abuse of commas is an abomination unto God, but that’s another thread. Monday is the start of the WORK week, not the week. Please make a note of it. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2009, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-annual-mon-sun-calender-rant/517410/36 "2009-11-14T01:38:22Z")
I thought that Sun-Sat calendars were purely a US thing, and every modern country uses Mon-Sun. What other countries habitually produce Sun-Sat calendars? They need to get with the program and join the 21st (heck, the 20th) century. And don’t even get me started on the US refusing to use the metric system! (hyperventilating) [ISO 8601 is an international standard covering the exchange of date and time-related data.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_8601#Week_dates) > [@](#): > > Week dates > … the weekday number, from 1 through 7, **beginning with Monday and ending with Sunday.** ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2009, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-annual-mon-sun-calender-rant/517410/37 "2009-11-14T01:45:29Z")
> [@Arnold\_Winkelried](#): > > I thought that Sun-Sat calendars were purely a US thing, and every modern country uses Mon-Sun. What other countries habitually produce Sun-Sat calendars? Well, Thailand normally, as it should be. Not sure why they’ve made these particular ones such an abomination. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2009, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-annual-mon-sun-calender-rant/517410/38 "2009-11-14T02:13:05Z")
> [@Arnold\_Winkelried](#): > > [ISO 8601 is an international standard covering the exchange of date and time-related data.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_8601#Week_dates) It gets worse. Even as a Euromofuckingpean, I was tripped up by my Danish colleagues insisting on referring to weeks by number. I’d get a planning email from them in January saying something like “and could you please arrange to do a campaign distribution to X sector prospects in week 33.” WTF is week 33? I started off counting the weeks on a calendar and guessing which one was the one they wanted, before I eventually swallowed my pride and told them I had no freaking idea which dates they meant, and could they please state the date in the format “week commencing [date] [month]” - which commencement date would of course be the Monday. 🙂 Do they have calendars with week numbers on them or something? ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2009, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-annual-mon-sun-calender-rant/517410/39 "2009-11-14T03:18:56Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Do they have calendars with week numbers on them or something? Actually, I think I have seen that. But not, say, in lieu of showing months or days. Just a little number on each Sunday – Sunday, mind you, not Monday – all the way to the end of the year. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2009, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-annual-mon-sun-calender-rant/517410/40 "2009-11-14T03:21:15Z")
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