Weekend in America

In the United States Monday is the beginning of the workweek；it is the day most Americans like least．It is not surprising then that the day they like most is Saturday．Saturday is the end of the workweek；it is the beginning of the weekend．

 

Life is different on the weekend；most Americans take care of their house，car or garden．They sleep later in the morning．They enjoy the feeling that the time seems to move more slowly．The week is for things you have to do；the weekend is for things you want to do．Some people may get in a car and go for a drive in the country．They like to take part in a sports activity outdoors．And on Saturday night they might go to a public eating place or a movie．

 

The idea of the weekend is a recent invention．In １８７０s wealthy people began to speak of spending weekends in the country visiting friends．For most people back then，however，the work－day was six days long．It ended at about noon or later on Saturday．

 

Automobile maker Henry Ford was the first major employer in the United States to establish a workweek of ５days．He did that in １９２６．Henry Ford thought that if the working people had more free time they would spend more money，something good for the economy．By １９４０ it had become common for most Americans to work ８ hours a day，５ days a week．Today the lives of most Americans are organised that way：５days of work or school followed by ２ days of rest．For many people Saturday night is the highpoint of the weekend and the week．It is the night for going out and having fun．

 

Anything and everything can happen on Saturday night．People go dancing；they visit

 

friends and have parties．They drink too much alcohol．They get killed or kill other people．They sleep，watch television，and sometimes fall in love．People do these same things on other nights of the week too，but they do them more often and with more emotion and purpose on Saturday night．

 

On Saturday night movie theaters sell more admission tickets．It also is the biggest night for places that sell alcoholic drinks．That is one reason why Saturday night wit－nesses most murders，fights and deadly car accidents．

 

In a town in Indiana there is a Saturday night custom called “cruising”．Cruising means to spend the evening driving your car slowly up and down the town's main street．People who are cruising talk from car to car．They exchange greetings，jokes and friendly insults．Cruising is most popular in small towns where there is not much else to do．

 

Many people spend the Saturday night at home with friends．They have dinner together．Perhaps they watch a movie on a video cassette recorder．Other people go on a date．A date usually involves two people．People on a date might go to a public concert，yet they talk only to each other．

 

Is there anything people do not like about the weekend？A study of １０００Americans found that half would gladly trade a paid workday for an extra day of free time．The only thing wrong with the weekend，they think，is that it does not last longer．