This isn’t a criticism or judgement, I’m genuinely curious about how it came to be this way + the reasoning behind it.

Do you consider Sunday to be the start of the week?

39 comments

  1. I don’t think this is an American thing. Sunday being the first day of the week goes back thousands of years

  4. I don’t know (or remember) the history behind it, but I do consider Sunday to be the start of the week and Monday to be the start of the work week.

  5. We’re taught, literally in elementary school, through songs that Sunday is the first day of the week.

  7. I’d guess it’s ostensibly based on Christianity somehow, which is basically diet Judaism with some extra literature, and for Jews Sunday is the first day of the week. In Hebrew it’s literally called “first day”.

  8. Yes, Sunday is the first day of the week, and Saturday is the last. Not sure about the history behind it.

  9. I think most people consider Monday the start of the week because it’s the start of the work week.

    Our calendars start with Sunday because it dates back to Judaism and early Christian calendars.

    We refer to Sunday as part of the “weekend” even though it’s on the left side of most printed calendars.

  11. I’m an American and I always get myself an undated calendar so I can make the week start with Monday, it just makes more sense.

  13. Wait, how do other countries have their calendars? I never though this was an American thing.

  16. Same reason UK calendars did until fairly recently (look at some antique calendar cards some time).

    We have the old style, y’all changed

    I’m not sure when you changed, but in 1649 the Westminster Assembly noted that Christian worship is on the first day of the week (this was not controversial)

    >As it is of the law of nature that, in general, a due proportion of time be set apart for the worship of God; so, in his Word, by a positive, moral, and perpetual commandment, binding all men in all ages, he hath particularly appointed one day in seven for a Sabbath, to be kept holy unto him: which, from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, was the last day of the week; and, from the resurrection of Christ, **was changed into the first day of the week, which in Scripture is called the Lord’s day, and is to be continued to the end of the world, as the Christian Sabbath**.

  17. Because ancient Egyptians decided the day of the sun god should start the week.

    Seriously, that’s why.

  18. I consider monday to be the start of the week, I’m sure sunday first has something to do with christianity.

  19. Everyone keeps saying that most people consider Sunday the start of the week but that isn’t my experience. Monday was always considered the first day of the week and our calendars confused me as a kid because they had Sunday as the first day lol.

  20. Sunday being the first day makes it a weekend.

    The ends of the week must be the first and last day. If Sunday was the last day the week, the weekends would be Monday and Sunday

  22. I’ve never thought it made sense to have the week start on Sunday instead of Monday but that’s just how the calendars are here.

  23. I think of Monday as the first of the week. I dont know why calanders are like that

  24. >Do you consider Sunday to be the start of the week?

    Yes, because it is. That’s why our calendars are formatted as they are.

  25. It depends. Sun – Sat is the default, but you can buy calendars that start on monday

  26. Americans follow the calendar set up by emperor Constantine. Not sure why Europeans don’t.

  27. Sundays the beginning end

    Saturday the ending end

    Like the heels on a loaf of bread

    Personally, weeks only “start” because I have to attend work. Remove work from the equation and I give no fucks and do not recognize a week starting

  28. Yes I’m a Canadian in Europe and I’m always confused by my calendar here starting on Monday instead of Sunday . I wish it wasn’t so hardwired in my brain.

  29. Its a good question how countries came to order their weeks.

    In America we tend to think of weekends like bookends.

  30. Because Sunday is the first day of the week?

    Do your calendars start on Thursday or something?

  32. One of our vendors is based in Switzerland and every year they send us really pretty calendars. I have mine up next to my door so if anyone is in my office discussing deadlines and needs to reference a calendar, it’s immediately available.

    There is confusion, without fail, EVERY SINGLE TIME someone looks at it because they can’t wrap their brain around the fact that Monday is shown as the start of the week.

  33. Weekends are like bookends, there’s one on each side. That’s how I think of it anyway.

  36. It’s not an American thing. Historically that’s how it is.

    Ancient Egyptians, ancient Romans, the first Gregorian calendars… they all have Sunday as the start of the week, going back as far as 6,264 years.

  37. My calendars are always displayed that way but in my mind I think of Sunday as the actual end of the week and Monday as the start of the next week. I prefer to do less on Sunday to mentally prepare for Monday, LOL.

  38. Why? Because Emperor Constantine made Sunday the first day of the week like 2000 years ago. It’s not an American thing.

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