Why Is a Week Seven Days?

The day comes from the Earth spinning. The month comes from the Moon. The year comes from our trip around the Sun. But nothing in the sky takes seven days. So who decided your whole life would come in sevens? In this video we trace the week back to the Babylonians, who marked the 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th of every lunar month. Then we see how the Sabbath turned it into a count that never resets, how seven wandering lights gave the days their names in English, Spanish and Japanese, and the little-known 24-hour astrology trick that explains why Tuesday comes after Monday. Along the way, we meet Revolutionary France's 10-day week and the Soviet Union's color-coded 5-day week, and find out why both failed. 0:00 Nothing in the sky takes 7 days 0:36 The official story 0:59 The Moon doesn't fit 1:58 The unbroken chain 2:44 Seven wandering lights 4:20 The 24-hour trick 6:08 The war on the week 7:50 The week that wouldn't die 9:02 So why seven? Subscribe to Curio for more of history's and science's coolest questions, explained simply. #History #Calendar #DaysOfTheWeek #Astronomy #Planets #Babylon #FrenchRevolution #SovietUnion #Explained #Curio