Saturday: Saturn's day
Saturday is the sixth day of the week according to the international standard ISO 8601 and is considered the first day of the weekend in most western countries.
Temple of Saturn in Rome, Italy.
©bigstockphoto.com/josefkubes
Long weekends and bank holidays
Saturday comes after Friday and before Sunday in our modern-day Gregorian Calendar.
Naming Saturday
Named after the Roman god and planet Saturn, Saturday is the only day of the week that retained its Roman origin in English. Saturn is the Roman and Italic god of agriculture and the consort of Ops. He is believed to have ruled Earth during an age of happiness and virtue. Cronus (Kronos, Cronos) is the Greek god (Titan) who ruled the universe until dethroned by his son Zeus.
- Middle English – Saterday
- Latin – dies Saturni – Day of Saturn
- Old English – sæterdæg or saternesdæg – Saturn’s day
- Ancient Greek – hemera Khronu – Day of Cronus
Position in the Week
According to the international standard ISO 8601, Saturday is the sixth day of the week. However, it is the last day of the week in countries that use Sunday as the first day of the week in their calendar, such as USA, Canada, Australia, and Japan.
What is the first day of the week?
Day of Rest
Saturday is considered a day during the weekend in most countries. In Nepal, Saturday is the last day of the week and is the only official weekly holiday. Saturday is the seventh day and became the Jewish day of rest, the Sabbath. Saturday is the official day of rest in Israel, in which all government offices, most businesses, and some public transportation are closed.
Political Election
Elections in Australia and New Zealand are normally on a Saturday. It is also the preferred Election Day in the U.S. state of Louisiana.