Weekend

Weekend is a term referring to two traditionally non-working days in a seven-day week. For more information, see Workweek.

History

While the idea of a non working day goes back to biblical times, the idea of two non working days at the end of every week is not very old. According to the book "Waiting for the Weekend" by Witold Rybczynski, the American concept of the weekend has its roots in labor union attempts to accommodate Jewish workers who took Saturday instead of Sunday as their Sabbath. The first five-day work week was instituted by a New England spinning mill for this reason.

In 1926 Henry Ford began shutting down his automobile factories for the entire weekend, Saturday and Sunday. Soon afterward, The Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, in 1929, was the first to demand a five day work week and receive it. After that, the rest of the country slowly followed suit, but it wasn't until 1940 that the two-day weekend officially began nationwide.

However in the UK Saturday morning was a part of the normal working week until the mid 1950's when progressively a five day week began over the coming years.

Music

Bands

The Weekend (Canadian band), a Canadian band
Weekend (Welsh band), a Welsh band
Weekend (San Francisco band), a San Francisco band
Weekends (Pennsylvania Musician), Fred Oakman's Acoustic/Indie Project

Albums

The Weekend (Hey Mercedes album), a 2002 album by Hey Mercedes
Weekend (Kenny Lattimore album), a 2001 album by R&B singer Kenny Lattimore
The Weekend (Smashproof album), a 2009 album by New Zealand group Smashproof.

Songs

"Weekend" (Daz song), a 2006 single by Daz Dillinger
The Weekend (Michael Gray song), a single by DJ Michael Gray
"Weekend" (Earth and Fire song), a 1979 song by Earth and Fire (in 2003 covered by Scooter)
"Weekend" (Phreek song), a 1978 single by Phreek (in 1983 covered by Class Action)
"Week End" (X Japan song), a 1990 single by X Japan
"The Weekend" (Steve Wariner song)

Film

Week-end (1935 film), a 1935 Danish film directed by Lau Lauritzen & Alice O'Fredericks
Week End (1967 film), a 1967 French film directed by Jean-Luc Godard
The Weekend (2007) , a 2007 American comedy directed by Michael Todd Kuskin

Other

Weekend (news program), an American television newsmagazine from the 1970s

Translation

The word "Weekend" occurs as such in the following languages: English, Italian, Dutch.

Translation(s) in other languages: German: Weekend (Begriffsklärung), French: Week-end (homonymie), Japanese: ウィークエンド.