This column has nothing to do with the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Instead, it deals with the confusion that myself and I am sure many of my readers experienced last week. We can blame it on the calendar. This past year, Christmas and New Years were on a Wednesday. It led to many of us not knowing what the day of the week was.

Thursday felt like Monday and Friday felt like Thursday. My trash day is normally on Wednesday after I drag my bin to the curb Tuesday night. However, the midweek holiday meant the trash was brought out Wednesday night for a Thursday pickup. It did not help my confusion about what day it was when I woke up.

There definitely is something uniquely upsetting about a holiday falling smack dab in the middle of the week. Unlike the usual uninterrupted Monday through Friday work week, when a holiday pops up in the middle of the week it confuses many of us. It upsets the flow of our daily routine. We are all creatures of habit. We will rely on patterns and routines to navigate our time. The uninterrupted Monday to Friday week creates a clear structure that has its own rhythm and purpose towards the usual Saturday and Sunday weekend.

The midweek holiday throws us off our schedule and disrupts our routine. Most of us have a routine that follows a similar pattern every week. That consistency helps us keep track of time making it easier to keep track of what day it is. However, when the holiday pops up on Wednesday the routine is suddenly interrupted. The break in our daily pattern creates a temporal disorientation causing the brain to miss its usual outside cues and starts to lose track of time. Thursday feels like another Monday and by Friday we are utterly confused.

There is a physiological aspect to consider when examining midweek holidays. The break in the week can create a sense of being detached and the usual markers that help us navigate the days are missing. As an example, many people use the thought of the coming weekend to measure the passing days. Wednesday means we’re halfway towards the weekend. But, a holiday midweek throws a monkey wrench in how we react. The day after the midweek holiday feels like a Monday when it’s actually a Thursday.

The midweek holiday also affects our productivity and workflow. The break can create what amounts to a two-part work week when Monday and Tuesday feel like a mini week and Thursday Friday the 2nd part of the week. It can make it hard to remain focused and momentum on long term projects.

A midweek holiday also throws off our internal clocks and affects our biological rhythms which regulate sleeping and other processes. The midweek holiday can change and disrupt these rhythms leading to changes in overall well-being. 

If the recent midweek holiday made your mind unable to remember what day of the week you were living through, you are not alone. The phenomenon has led to scientific studies. The consensus revealed that Monday and Friday are easily identified because they bookend the weekends. That is why a holiday that falls on Wednesday, makes Thursday feel like Monday with its feeling of going back to work.

If you had problems remembering what day of the week it was when a holiday hit the calendar midweek, do not despair. My research revealed that Amazon sells “day of the week underwear” for men and women. Problem solved!

Hudson Cooper is a resident of Sullivan County, a writer, comedian and actor.