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Discover the Ultimate Top 10 Saturday Fun Facts: Unravel the Secrets of the Most Popular Weekend Day!

illustration of saturday
Dive into the thrilling world of Saturdays as we unravel some entertaining, lesser-known nuggets about everyone's favorite weekend day!

1. Nordic Saturday Origins

You might think Thor and Odin have dibs on the whole week, but it turns out Saturday got laundered right out of that Nordic naming debacle: Saturday's name actually originates from the Norse term "laugardagr," meaning "wash day" or "bathing day," and was traditionally reserved for cleaning and personal hygiene; later, the English name "Saturday" was adopted from the Roman god Saturn, showcasing a cultural mix in the origins of the weekday names.
Source => vikingeskibsmuseet.dk

2. White After Labor Day Myth

Oh, the trials and tribulations of wearing white after Labor Day - a fashion faux pas to turn heads for all the wrong reasons: The common misconception attributing this rule specifically to Saturdays couldn't be further from the truth, as Labor Day actually falls on the first Monday of September each year, regardless of that pesky calendar day!
Source => comunitymade.com

3. Saturday Morning Cartoons

Once upon a time in the land before iPads, a magical invention called "the electronic pacifier" brought joy to sleepy children and relief to weary parents every Saturday morning: Saturday morning cartoons were born in the 1950s, with Crusader Rabbit as the pioneer, and Hanna-Barbera ruling the animation kingdom through cost-effective techniques, until concerns about violence and commercialism led networks to impose regulations and standards on themselves.
Source => encyclopedia.com

4. Saturday Fun in Nepal

Whoever said Saturdays are for the boys clearly never visited Nepal: there, not only is Saturday part of the standard weekend, but they also have numerous religious and non-religious holidays to spice things up, including the seven-day Vijaya Dashami festival!
Source => en.wikipedia.org

Shabbat - A Day of Rest

5. Shabbat - A Day of Rest

When you've got that Saturday Night Fever but refuse to work: Shabbat, observed in Judaism from Friday sunset to Saturday night, offers a day of rest and spiritual contemplation, with activities ceasing until three stars appear in the sky or an hour after sundown. This serene and family-focused festivity ends with the Havdalah ritual, complete with wine, spices, and light, to separate Shabbat from the mundane week ahead.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

6. Iconic Saturday Night Live

Stage lights and hearty laughs abound at America's weekly appointment with comedy (and sometimes, facepalm-worthy humor): Saturday Night Live has rumbled the ribs of TV viewers across the nation and the world in over 900 episodes. In the comical heart of New York City - right inside Studio 8H at 30 Rock - SNL churns out iconic sketches, monologues, and musical performances that make Saturday nights a little brighter (and a tad more jittery with a dose of caffeine): Since its groundbreaking debut on October 11, 1975, SNL has become the embodiment of American satire, boasting a revolving-door-cast of fresh faces and unforgettable sketches that parody pop culture and politics with a dash of hilarity, jabs of controversy, and a just-right helping of spunky guest stars.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

7. Swedish Candy Tradition

If you're pining for a sugar rush, just look to Sweden – the land of IKEA, meatballs, and praiseworthy sweet customs: Every Saturday, Swedes – young and old – partake in their traditional "lördagsgodis", where they devour weighty amounts of candies from overflowing candy walls in grocery stores, all thanks to a national health recommendation that started in 1959 after the Vipeholm experiments.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

8. First Floodlight Football Match

Before footballers had that certain "glow up" and found themselves basking in the limelight of fame and fortune, they were just trying to shine a light on their game: On a 1878 Friday evening, the first-ever football match under floodlights – a whopping 8,000 candlepower – took place at Bramall Lane in Sheffield, drawing 12,000 attendees who paid sixpence each to witness the brilliantly lit battle between the "Blues" and the "Reds."
Source => moneyweek.com

9. Beatles' Rooftop Farewell

When the Fab Four decided to "Come Together" for one last hurrah and chose to "Get Back" to their roots with a spontaneous sky-high serenade: On a January Saturday in 1969, the Beatles performed an impromptu rooftop concert atop their Apple Corps headquarters in London, belting out five songs to the public below. This marked their final live gig, while the entire event was filmed, recorded, and used in multiple documentaries, with the audio eventually streaming online and hitting IMAX screens in 2022.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

Saturday-Born Ghostbusters

10. Saturday-Born Ghostbusters

Who you gonna call? Saturday-born Scots! That's right, they were believed to have an innate ability to spot spooks: In fact, Saturday is steeped in tradition and cultural quirks across various lands. Named after Saturn, the Roman god of agriculture, it's a day of indulgence during the now-infamous weeklong Saturnalia festival. It's also known as the Sabbath in many cultures, a lucky day for haircuts in Thailand, and the day when Scottish folk born on it were thought to have ghostly visions.
Source => goodlucksymbols.com

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