Why Are There 7 Days In a Week? EXPLAINED

↓ More info and sources below ↓

Why does everyone use a 7 day week, and where did it come from? Where do the names of the days come from? And who can we blame for Mondays? Here’s the true story of one of the oldest human customs still in use today. It gets a little weird.

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[besmart]

Sometimes simple questions don't have simple answers, huh?
I'm on Twitter and Instagram so tag me and tell me what you thought of this video! @DrJoeHanson @okaytobesmart

[puremath]

the best part is that he began his descent into madness just after SEVEN minutes

[steveweast]

I just watched a man's descent into madness

[urvashibagohil]

Joe went mad after being calm exactly after 7.7 minutes!
7:42=7.7 minutes, that's the reason why SEVEN is sooo unique

[jorjeezealien]

You mentioned mensuration, and it's honestly a good theory of why specifically 7 days (rather than the number 7 itself) would be important to people before math and astrology. I mean, if half of your people bleed for about 7 days for reasons that are unidentifiable to you, you might consider it important to take note of. Especially if you noticed it happened to cycle with the moon.

[physicsgirl]

I want a GIF on repeat of 12:28. Nah, GIF isn't right, because we need that sound too. 10/10 noises.

[buco]

He went *”I don’t need sleep, I need answers”* mode

[ems]

This is a pretty damn good video from a theatre perspective. It's like watching one of the countless maniacally insane conspiracy theorists online these days - except this time, ironically, it's entirely based in solid math, science, and history.

That said, from a teaching perspective, it's a little too hard to follow compared to your other videos.

I worry that this is what I might look like at the front of the classroom when I'm low on sleep and having a bad day.

[Ssu]

6:44 I’m Finnish and I’ve NEVER realized keskiviikko is just middleweek 😅 my brain has always thought it as just a day’s name

[myaccountgotdeleted]

I asked why there were 7 days in the week, watched a man descend into madness instead.

[Morningblossom]

The "don't fight me about Pluto" surprised me into a laugh lol

[jadenephrite]

Regarding 4:03, the astrological symbols for the planets were also represented by their alchemy symbols. The symbol ♀for the planet Venus was the alchemy symbol for copper. The symbol ♂for the planet Mars was the alchemy symbol for iron. The symbol ♃ for the planet Jupiter was the alchemy symbol for tin. The symbol ♄ for the planet Saturn was the alchemy symbol for lead. The symbol ☿ for the planet Mercury was the alchemy symbol for the metal Mercury. The symbol ☉ for the sun was the alchemy symbol for gold. The symbol ☾ for the Moon was the alchemy symbol for silver.

[jaiprakashjha]

I didn't knew when this educational video turned into a psychological documentary

[saranshkumar]

He tried to look like a “lunatic”.
Haha. Get it.
Luna as in moon.
Ugh, never mind.

[vectorstrike]

Navajo word for Monday: "Sunday has ended".
Man, that's a bit depressing

[mpatricksc]

In Portuguese the names of the days are "simply represented by numbers" too:
Segunda - second day
Terça - third day
Quarta - fourth day
Quinta - fifth
Sexta - sixth

Then you have:
Sábado, which I believe has something to do with "shabbat";
Domingo, I just learned from your video, something to do with Dominici.

Amazing video by the way! I love your channel

[chipkrug]

I've heard so many of those elements over the years, but never realized the breadth and depth you present here. Kudos to you and your team! So fun.

[bashera]

CGP Grey: Hexagons
It's Okay To Be Smart: SEVEN

[albevanhanoy]

If there is anything to show the effect Quarantine has on the human brain, it's this video.

[renesongs]

A captivating presentations of the origins of the 7 days of the week. I recently did some research on the origins of the 7 notes of the major scale in music and stumbled on the same the 7 gods of both Babylon and Hellenistic Greece. Incidentally there are also 12 possible motes names in western music but that is for a different reason.