Long Weekend

[Cathy]

Being very keen about working, I've been thinking about weekends. I know that we have Sundays off for religious reasons, but why do we have Saturdays off?

[Cactus]

I believe, in Judaism Saturday is the sabbath instead of Sunday. Perhaps that's why we have both days, so that Jewish people in Britain don't have to work on the sabbath. Now if only someone would start up their own religion with Friday as the sabbath, we'd get an even longer weekend if it grew popular enough...

[froggequene]

I think it's more to do with the industrial revolution then religion to be honest, I don't think there are a sufficient number of Jews in the country to make that much of an impact on whether or not we have Saturday off. Prior to the Industrial Revolution Britain and Ireland were mostly agricultural and would have worked seven days a week, Sunday was the Sabbath day but cows still need to be milked. As the Industrial Revolution progressed and machinery became better and more efficient and workers became politicised and unionised the structure we know for the working week came into being. This is just my own theory of course, I can't find anything to support it but there is nothing to stop you from working Saturdays provided your boss is willing to pay the overtime.

[Pickle]

The Muslim Sabbath is Friday. Can we have 3 days off now?

[darth vader]

Froggequene more or less has it. Originally people worked a seven day week in ye olde days, but this was deemed oppresive and anti-christian so Sunday became the only day off - a day of rest and reflection, and a day of religion. Then in more recent history it was decided that as well as a day of rest and devotion to god, the people should have a day of exercise and following pursuits. Interestingly enough we weren't given the whole of Saturday off. Instead the people of Britain were allowed Wednesday afternoon and Saturday afternoon off, to play/watch sport (hence the naming of Sheffield Wednesday who were originally a cricket team (i think) and only allowed to play Wednesday as they weren't given the saturday afternoon off also), it also explains why football matches traditionally start at 3pm on a Saturday - giving workers change to finish work and get to the match!)
it is only in the latter half of the 20th century that taking the whole of Saturday off became the norm (unless you are a shop worker of course!)