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Pedants' corner

First day of the week is Sunday, isn't it?

36 replies

Greythorne · 10/04/2011 22:51

Argument with a friend about the first day of the week.

I say Sunday.

He says Monday.

I tried to explain it (pretty fuzzy, something about the first day of the week being day of worship but felt on shaky ground) and couldn't but remain convinced it is Sunday.

MN jury?

OP posts:

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DadDadDad · 21/11/2018 08:17

On only needs to look at the Hebrew words for the days of the week.

How do you justify that "only"? Word origins in a different language might be one reason to take a particular approach, but they don't have authority over us here today in the UK.

Anyway, "September" means the seventh month, but I've got news for you...

It's a convention - there is no right or wrong. I usually think of Monday as the first day of the week, others prefer Sunday. I can't see the big deal! (Yes, I know these things are a big deal on Pedants' Corner).

Also - ZOMBIE THREAD!!

europa89147 · 21/11/2018 06:41

On only needs to look at the Hebrew words for the days of the week. The word for Sunday translated directly means Day 1, the word for Monday Means Day 2 and so forth with the word for Friday translated as Day 6. The only exception to this pattern is Saturday which translated directly means Sabbath. Therefore as Friday is translated Day 6 and Saturday follows Friday,it is the 7th day of the week which ends the week. In addition as mentioned above Sunday translate as Day 1, thus is the first day of the week.

NotADudeExactly · 21/07/2011 23:46

Stupid question but (regarding the Sabbath) how exactly are we to know which day the Sabbath is anyway? Surely no one has been counting along since the beginning of all days? And, even if: If we accept for argument's sake the story of Adam and Eve, how were Adam and Eve supposed to have known which day it was? It's not like anyone would have been there to count before they arrived, is it?

FWIW, payroll where I work are adamant that Thursday is the last and Friday the first day of each week.

jenniec79 · 21/07/2011 12:29

No.

Sunday is part of the WEEKEND, hence at the end of the week. It is also deemed the "seventh day". There would be no point in a day of rest at the beginning of the week.

EdithWeston · 09/06/2011 23:19

I'd say it was Monday - as the seventh day, when God rested is Sunday in the Christian faith. But it is culturally variable, as for some the main day of prayer may be Saturday (as nickelbaalamb posted) or Friday in Islam.

Perhaps this is one on which differing views must be accepted.

mranchovy · 09/06/2011 23:09

For Income Tax, weeks start on whatever day the previous 6th of April was.

SMP is complicated - for some purposes weeks run Sunday-Saturday, but for others they start on the day that the employee starts her maternity leave and becomes entitled to SMP which can only be a Sunday if that Sunday is a normal working day.

In UK business, the convention is that weeks start on a Monday, in the US business it is that weeks start on a Sunday.

LoopyLoopsNincompoop · 24/04/2011 10:36

I use Monday, but the government (for working out tax, SMP, MA etc.) use Sunday.

Don't think it really matters.

MILMania · 23/04/2011 14:34

(Sunday is part of the 'weekend', innit?)

MILMania · 23/04/2011 14:34

It's Monday. Sunday if you're Christian, I suppose - which I am not. The week ends with Sunday, a relaxing family day, and begins with Monday, a busy, get things done day. In my world, anyway.

cattj · 23/04/2011 14:31

The Business week runs from Monday to Sunday. With the days of the week numbered from 1 to 7, Monday to Friday are therefore days 1 to 5 in a business calendar.

The Cultural week runs from Sunday to Saturday in many Western countries.

Barbeasty · 23/04/2011 07:21

Where I work it is Friday for pay and Saturday for work.

When you add that to the fact that we work with week numbers that start on the first Saturday in April and don't quite align with the tax weeks used by payroll, it gets ever so confusing.

In real life I was always told it was Sunday and therefore, stubbornly, insist the week begins on Monday.

ChippingInLovesEasterEggs · 19/04/2011 15:55

I don't think there is a 'right' answer to this one, not at all.

It's Monday for me!

Why were you debating it?

BehindLockNumberNine · 19/04/2011 15:52

I was told by my parents, not the week was started by my parents...

BehindLockNumberNine · 19/04/2011 15:51

But Sunday is part of the weekend, which, as it's name suggests comes at the end of the week....

I was always told that the weeks starts on a Monday by my parents (as we were serious atheists) and that religious people say the week starts on a Sunday.

nickelbaalamb · 19/04/2011 15:49

yup, Jewish creation story has Saturday being the day of rest, or Sabbath.

nickelbaalamb · 19/04/2011 15:48

It's definitely Sunday, no matter what the working world thinks.

Sunday starts the week, Saturday ends it.

(in the old days, people normally worked on Saturdays, so you can't class Saturday as the weekend)

itchycoopark · 18/04/2011 18:10

It is technically Sunday

Oxbridge terms and weeks start on a Sunday. Gets quite confusing.

I think of it as MOnday being the first day though

inkyfingers · 18/04/2011 18:07

Old calendars will show Sunday as first day.

EllenJane1 · 18/04/2011 00:27

I have always thought of weekends being like bookends, so Saturday is the end of the week, and Sunday the start.

maizieD · 11/04/2011 16:44

The world was created in 6 days and on the 7th day God rested. That would be Sunday - the end of the working week.

This is the Jewish creation story. The Jews celebrate the Sabbath (the day on which God rested) on Saturday. So if you are going to be biblical you'll have to go with Sunday as the first day of the week.

WorzselMummage · 11/04/2011 02:03

Monday is the start of the week, Sunday is the end!

FizzyMakeFeelNice · 11/04/2011 01:12

I always think Sunday is part of the weekend so therefore it is the lsat day of the week.

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Insert1x50p · 11/04/2011 01:12

"Does it not depend upon whether you are a Christian or not?"

Get's even more confusing if you're a Middle Eastern Muslim. In Saudi, the weekend is Thurs/Fri. In the UAE it's Friday/Saturday, so if you live in Dubai, Sunday is the first day of the working week.

piprabbit · 11/04/2011 00:52

Monday is the first day of the week.
The world was created in 6 days and on the 7th day God rested. That would be Sunday - the end of the working week.

Or so I was told when I was small. Now I am a SAHM all the days seem pretty much the same to me .

tribpot · 11/04/2011 00:46

I say Monday.

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