“I always work the same way, starting from the beginning of the weekend, so I know at the beginning of the race, from all that I have analyzed during the practice, whether I will win the race or not”. – Alain Prost1. How was weekend originated?
The origin of weekend came into the picture between the years 1793 and 1805, when the French Revolutionary Calendar called for a day off at the end of a 10-day week. In 1926, Henry Ford, Europe closed all of his factories on Saturdays, thinking this would help urge the economy. European Christians viewed Sundays solely as a time to dedicate one’s self to the Deity, European workers had a longstanding practice of skipping work each “Saint Monday” to recover from the previous day’s drinking.
Nearly 20 percent of American professionals logged an average of eight hours work per day, and at the same time 35 percent of Americans reported working on holidays or weekends. All of this work generated more than $13 trillion gross domestic product in 2006. As per Harris Interactive poll, Americans took only an average of 10 of the 14 vacation days given to them by employers.
Weekend and work week are the complementary words for the labor and rest. The legal working week (British English), or workweek (U.S. English), is a part of the seven-day week devoted to labor. Nowadays, most of the western countries are following workweek from Monday to Friday. The weekend is a combination of two traditionally non-working days in the seven-day week. In Christian custom, Sunday is considered as the “Lord’s Day” and the day of rest and worship. The French Revolutionary Calendar was designed with ten-day weeks and one out of the ten days, as a leisure day. In cultures with a seven-day week, the day of rest derives from the main religious tradition: Sunday (Christian), Saturday (Jewish), or Friday (Muslim).
2. What is the history of weekend across the globe?
1. Australia : An Australian person starts their working week on Monday and ends on Friday. Without taking breaks they work nearly 35 and 40 hours per week.
2. Canada : Canada is a place where the standard office working hours begins on Monday and ends on Friday and people work 40 hours per week. Weekend in Canada begins on Friday after work at 5pm and ends on Monday morning at 8am.
3. Chile : As per Chile legal workweek, their weekend comprises of six days or 45 working hours. They usually work 10 hours per day.
4. China : China also follows the same workweek of Monday to Friday. China started its two-day weekend in 1995 and most of the Chinese working professionals work 5 days a week. But, they consider the week beginning with Monday and ending with Sunday.
5. Colombia : Colombia which is a part of Latin American countries follows a 40 working-hours per week from Monday to Friday.
6. EU : In Europe, the full-time working week begins on Monday and ends on Friday. In Ireland, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands and the former communist states of Europe, large shopping centers remain open on Sunday.
7. Austria : The work week in Austria is Monday to Friday and Friday is usually a half-day.
8. Bulgaria : The work week is Monday to Friday; 8 hours per day, 40 hours in total per week.
9. Czech Republic : In the Czech Republic, the work week is usually from Monday to Friday, 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week as a full-time job.
10. Denmark : Denmark has a working week of 37 hours, generally Monday to Friday.
11. Estonia : In Estonia, the working hours contain 40 hours and working week begins on Monday and ends on Friday.
12. Finland : In Finland, the working week begins on Monday and ends on Friday. A full time job is considered as working for 32 to 40 hours a week.
13. France : The standard working week in France is Monday to Friday. Most of the schools in France will be closed on Wednesday and works on Saturday.
14. Ireland : Ireland has a working week from Monday to Friday with core working hours from 09:00 to 17:30.
15. Latvia : Latvia has a Monday to Friday working week, with normal maximum time of 40 hours.
16. Poland : The workweek is Monday to Friday; 8 hours per day, 40 hours in total per week. Large malls are open on Saturday and Sunday, many small shops remain closed on Sunday.
17. Portugal : The workweek is Monday to Friday; 8 hours per day, 40 hours in total per week.
18. Romania : The workweek is Monday to Friday; 8 hours per day, 40 hours in total per week.
19. Sweden : In Sweden, the standard workweek is Monday to Friday, 40-hour in total per week.
20. United Kingdom : The normal business working week is from Monday to Friday (35 to 40 hours as per the agreement).
21. Hong Kong : The standard working week in Hong Kong is Monday to Friday.
22. India : In India, working week begins on Monday and ends on Saturday with half a day, making it a 5½-day work week, roughly 50 hours per week. The weekend is Sunday. However, government offices, newer institutions, IT & ITES companies follow the international 40 hour week starting Monday to Friday.
23. Mexico : Mexico has a 48 working-hours workweek running from Monday to Friday.
24. Nepal : Nepal follows the ancient Vedic calendar, which follows the resting day on Saturday and the first day of the working week on Sunday.
25. Pakistan : Pakistan follows the standard international 40 hour working week, from Monday to Friday.
26. Islamic countries : Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia, Oman and Yemen follows Thursday to Friday weekend. Although, Friday is the Muslim holy day when Jumu’ah prayers take place and a number of countries have a Thursday–Friday weekend.
3. What are the various acronyms and expressions of weekend?
• ‘Blue Monday’ is a term used when the weekend is over and its time to get back to the work. It is believed that dissipation gives everything a blue tinge and as many people feel sad at the beginning of a workweek this phrase is used on Monday’s to depict their working mood.
• ‘Hump day’ is a synonym for Wednesday. It is used in the context that the people worked half-way through the week and thriving to uphill work from Monday.
• ‘TGIF’ is also known as “Thank God It’s Friday” or “Thank Goodness It’s Friday”. The expression itself gives a relief that the work week is finally over and hope for the happy weekend.
• Hawaiian people pronounce ‘Pau Hana’ which means “finished work “to start the weekend.
• POETS day is an acronym, meaning “Piss Off Early Tomorrow’s Saturday”, “Punch Out Early Tomorrow’s Saturday”, “Push Off Early Tomorrow’s Saturday” or “Push Off Early Tomorrow’s Sunday”, used as a term for Fridays referring to the practice of finishing off the work early at the end of the week.
4. What are the tips for a happy weekend?
1. Wake up at your usual time
2. Do the daily routine tasks first
3. Get the grocery shopping out of the way too
4. Set aside time to do bill payments
5. Plan to do things
6. Budget Your partying
7. Use the evenings well
8. Plan an out of town trip
9. Plan your meals
10. Treasure your weekend
11. Do something fun on Friday evening and keep everything ready for Monday morning and enjoy the last phase of weekend.
