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Matt Yglesias has a vital reform proposal:
Let me say that I've really enjoyed this rare Friday-off three day weekend. I think it's been a lot more fun than your traditional Monday-off three dayer. I think it's the difference between a weekend that psychologically feels like it has two Saturdays and a weekend that psychologically feels like it has two Sundays. But whatever the reason, I think we should formalize the switch, eliminate our "observed on Monday" national holidays and shift them to Fridays.Thoughts? Having blogged a fair amount on Friday, I am unqualified to weigh in.
Comments (3)
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I suspect that most people get a lot more done on Mondays than they do on Fridays because Fridays we are already getting prepared for the weekend. So your switch is probably good for productivity. But for the same reason, I feel like I am getting more bang for the buck taking Monday off.
Sorry, Matt's idea is a terrible one. Any psychological benefit he gets from "two Saturdays" instead of "two Sundays" is easily trounced by the psychological benefit of one of the very best things about three-day weekends, the four-day week that follows. When you get up and go to work after a three-day weekend feeling every bit like it's Monday, and come to realize it's already Tuesday, that's wonderful. Don't take that away.
If the goal was to have 2 Saturdays, I'd be all for Matt's idea. But that "observed on Monday" is supposed to be solemn - in the US, a predominantly Christian (culturally) nation, that means two Sundays is more appropriate to the spirit.
QT