# What's the first day of the week?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-day-of-the-week/551476
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [August 25, 2010, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-day-of-the-week/551476 "2010-08-25T23:56:22Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2010, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-day-of-the-week/551476/1 "2010-08-25T23:56:22Z")
That’s it: Does the week start on Monday or Sunday? To me, the weekend ends the week–hence the name. Monday is the first day, Sunday the last. What about you?
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### Author:  [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2010, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-day-of-the-week/551476/2 "2010-08-26T00:17:47Z")
Sunday didn’t typically mean weekend to me as a kid - still had to go to church, then get all ready for Monday. Sunday is kind of a sad day 'cos Monday is coming.
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### Author:  [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2010, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-day-of-the-week/551476/3 "2010-08-26T00:39:47Z")
I know that most calendars say it’s Sunday but in my mind, Sunday is still part of the weekend. I don’t think the week has started till Monday. I guess because it’s the first day of the work week.
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### Author:  [@chicken\_wire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chicken_wire)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2010, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-day-of-the-week/551476/4 "2010-08-26T00:43:00Z")
The theme song starts “Sunday, Monday - happy days…”. I rest my case. 😛
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### Author:  [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2010, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-day-of-the-week/551476/5 "2010-08-26T00:43:32Z")
Sunday is the beginning of the week, and also part of the weekend. Saturday and Sunday are bookends.
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### Author:  [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2010, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-day-of-the-week/551476/6 "2010-08-26T00:43:37Z")
Yes its Sunday, but I voted for Monday. That’s when next week starts for me.
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### Author:  [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2010, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-day-of-the-week/551476/7 "2010-08-26T01:39:01Z")
Sunday is the last day. The day of rest to prepare for the upcoming week.
At least for me.
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### Author:  [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2010, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-day-of-the-week/551476/8 "2010-08-26T01:49:43Z")
The old testament is pretty clear that Sunday is the 1st day of the week.
I never understood why so many christians (of my acquaintance) have trouble grasping this.
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### Author:  [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2010, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-day-of-the-week/551476/9 "2010-08-26T01:57:52Z")
Sunday, obviously. It’s on an end of the week. As far as I can tell, people that say “Monday” think, for some reason, that they go to work on the first day of the week. I don’t understand what the first day of work has to do with the first day of the week. Do you work on Jan 1? No. Does that mean that the year starts on Jan 2?
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### Author:  [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2010, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-day-of-the-week/551476/10 "2010-08-26T02:03:51Z")
Monday starts the week, in my mind, but I always set my calendar apps to have Sunday first, as that’s the tradition I grew up with (visually, at least). That way Wednesday can be the middle, which feels right to me.
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### Author:  [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2010, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-day-of-the-week/551476/11 "2010-08-26T02:11:03Z")
Sunday as the first day of _my_ week. But hey, if you want to have \*your \*week start on Monday, it’s fine with me.
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### Author:  [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2010, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-day-of-the-week/551476/12 "2010-08-26T02:12:47Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#):
>
> The old testament is pretty clear that Sunday is the 1st day of the week.
>
> I never understood why so many christians (of my acquaintance) have trouble grasping this.
Same reason that I voted for Sunday.
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### Author:  [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2010, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-day-of-the-week/551476/13 "2010-08-26T02:25:50Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#):
>
> Monday starts the week, in my mind, but I always set my calendar apps to have Sunday first, as that’s the tradition I grew up with (visually, at least). That way Wednesday can be the middle, which feels right to me.
Same here. I find Mon-Sun calendars off-putting despite that being how a complete week “feels” to me.
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### Author:  [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2010, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-day-of-the-week/551476/14 "2010-08-26T02:58:21Z")
For Eastern Europeans, it’s Monday. I actually managed to have multiple debates about this when I lived there.
They’re wrong.
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### Author:  [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2010, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-day-of-the-week/551476/15 "2010-08-26T03:12:46Z")
> [@Brynda](#):
>
> That’s it: Does the week start on Monday or Sunday? To me, the weekend ends the week–hence the name. Monday is the first day, Sunday the last. What about you?
The weekend days are at the two ends of the week–hence the name. 😛 Sunday is the first day.
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### Author:  [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2010, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-day-of-the-week/551476/16 "2010-08-26T04:01:37Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#):
>
> > [@Brynda](#):
> >
> > That’s it: Does the week start on Monday or Sunday? To me, the weekend ends the week–hence the name. Monday is the first day, Sunday the last. What about you?
>
> The weekend days are at the two ends of the week–hence the name. 😛 Sunday is the first day.
I must admit, you have me there. 🙂
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### Author:  [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2010, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-day-of-the-week/551476/17 "2010-08-26T05:23:11Z")
I’m with the Biblical people. The sabbath is Saturday, right? And, in the Bible, it is listed as the seventh day. Therefore Sunday is the first day.
The only argument I’ve heard that Sunday is the seventh day is by people talking about that one extended day, acting as if our calendars count that as two days, when it should be one. But, if that is so, that would mean every subsequent Jew was celebrating on the wrong day–including Jesus. It’s not as if the Jewish calendar doesn’t sync with the Roman one (on days of the week, of course.)
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### Author:  [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2010, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-day-of-the-week/551476/18 "2010-08-26T05:29:44Z")
Over here, the weekend is Friday-Saturday. So there isn’t really any debate.
(Also, the Hebrew term for Sunday is “First Day”, Monday “Second Day” etc.).
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### Author:  [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2010, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-day-of-the-week/551476/19 "2010-08-26T05:41:34Z")
> [@Brynda](#):
>
> That’s it: Does the week start on Monday or Sunday? To me, the weekend ends the week–hence the name. Monday is the first day, Sunday the last. What about you?
Your books are always falling over, aren’t they?
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### Author:  [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2010, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-day-of-the-week/551476/20 "2010-08-26T05:52:33Z")
The week neither starts nor ends. It is a continuous loop.
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