[Tutor] Through a glass, darkly: the datetime module

[Roel Schroeven]

Sander Sweers schreef:
> Roel Schroeven schreef op zo 07-10-2012 om 21:19 [+0200]:
>> Sander Sweers schreef:
>>> Op 7 okt. 2012 04:29 schreef <akleider at sonic.net 
>>> <mailto:akleider at sonic.net>> het volgende:
>>>  > I'm also not sure but I seem to remember that it is
>>>  > ("SUNDAY", "MONDAY", "TUESDAY", "WEDNESDAY", "THURSDAY", "FRIDAY",
>>>  > "SATURDAY", "SUNDAY")
>>>  > which I think is extremely clever because it gets around the problem
>>>  > created by the fact that some people (misguided in my view) begin the 
>>> week
>>>  > with Sunday instead of ending with it.
>>>
>>> This has religious reasons, see 
>>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Week#Systems_derived_from_the_seven-day_week. 
>>> Notable exception to the rule that Sunday is the first day of the week 
>>> in europe is Italy, they consider Monday the first day of the week.
>> As far as I know, monday is generally considered the first day of the 
>> week here in Belgium. I never knew it was different in other European 
>> countries; I thought it was America that starts the week on sunday. Was 
>> I wrong then?
> 
> As far as I know also in Belgium Sunday is officially the first day of
> the week. Look at the calendar and check what is the leftmost day. My
> guess this is the same as your northern neighbor, Sunday ;-).

On the contrary, I can't remember ever having seen a non-foreign 
calendar with weeks starting on Sunday.

For example: 
http://www.antwerpen.be/docs/Stad/Bedrijven/Sociale_zaken/SZ_Milieu/afval/ophaalkalender_3_m.pdf
I know one example doesn't proof much, but that calendar certainly looks 
very familiar to me, while Sunday-based calendars always feel weird.

A Google images search for "kalender" also results mostly in 
Monday-based calendars for me.

All of that doesn't say very much about which one is officially 
sanctioned as the first day of the week. I don't have the faintest idea 
where that piece of information should be available. Maybe it's not 
defined anywhere. Belgium, like European countries, has largely 
christian roots, which does suggest Sunday as the first day of the week. 
  But I think the christian rules on such details have had very little 
impact on civilian life for many decades.

Regards,
Roel

-- 
"Too often we hold fast to the cliches of our forebears. We subject all
facts to a prefabricated set of interpretations. Too often we enjoy the
comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought."
         -- John F Kennedy

roel at roelschroeven.net