Our wants and needs don't always align
These days, shopping on a Sunday is pretty much the norm. In fact, given the hectic working week most of us endure, weekends are often the only time available to indulge in a spot of retail therapy, and that includes hitting the high street on the seventh day. But did you know that there are so-called blue laws that govern the way we shop on a Sunday, and that there are some places in the world that still ban the practice during the Sabbath?
If you're planning to make a purchase on a Sunday, check out this gallery before you go shopping.
In 321 CE, Constantine the Great, the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity, introduced the first legislation prohibiting Sunday labor, apparently for religion-associated reasons.
Sunday closing laws, or Sabbath laws, and designated days of rest, originated in England in the Middle Ages. These regulations subsequently became known as blue laws.
In the 17th century, blue laws were enacted in North America in the Jamestown colony, requiring attendance by all colonists at both morning and afternoon worship services on Sundays. The decrees were aimed at keeping the Sabbath holy.
Blue laws were likely named after the color of the paper upon which puritan colonial laws were printed or wrapped. This 1895 political cartoon reads, "A Slave to Blue Laws: New York is getting entirely too much Reform," and features an illustration of a woman tied up in blue ribbons by a 'puritan reformer.' By the 19th century, a fair proportion of US society had started to rebel against Sunday laws. Besides advocating for the closure of retail establishments, the so-called Sunday blue laws, seen as religious motivated decrees designed to enforce certain moral standards, imposed far greater restrictions, for example, "no shaves, no music, no amusements, no billiards.'
Blue laws still exist. They commonly ban certain business and recreational activities on Sundays. In the United States, these laws are rigorously enforced in some jurisdictions. In Bergan County, New Jersey, for example, Sunday shopping is prohibited. Many states slap a complete ban on the sale of liquor on Sundays. And the lifting of laws can take years to repeal. In North Dakota, their blue laws were only rescinded in 2019.
North of the border in Canada, the Lord's Day Act, drawn up in the early 20th century, prohibited business transactions from taking place on Sundays. The legislation was repealed in 1985 on the grounds that it contravened the freedom of religion and conscience provision in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. But blue laws are still upheld in certain provinces and territories that restrict or ban the sale of certain goods or services on a particular day of the week, with Sunday being the most common.
Sunday shopping in Japan can be hectic. Almost all shops and stores remain open over the entire weekend, though the trade-off is that some choose to close on Monday. Opening hours of most shops are typically 10 am to 8 pm.
In 2024, the government scraped regulations forcing shops in South Korea to close on the second and fourth Sundays of every month. People are now allowed to shop at discount stores and large supermarkets every Sunday.
In the UK, the Sunday Trading Act 1994 allowed shops of a certain size to trade on Sundays, but only within restricted opening hours. The legislation met with fierce resistance from some politicians, who saw it as a threat to family life and church attendance. Today in England it's commonplace for retailers to open on the seventh day for a maximum period of six continuous hours between the hours of 10 am and 6 pm (though this is sometimes shortened to 4 pm).
In Wales, retailers wishing to open on Sundays must also conform to the Sunday Trading Act 1994.
In Northern Ireland, Sunday trading is regulated under the Sunday Trading (Northern Ireland) Order 1997. Opening hours are more restricted than those in England and Wales, a measure aimed at creating a greater gap between Sunday services and the opening of large shops, largely in response to objections from churches.
In Scotland, there are no equivalent restrictions to the Sunday Trading Act 1994. In fact, Sunday trading is completely deregulated.
In Europe, EU Member States have passed laws to regulate opening hours for shops and businesses on Sundays. But these differ from country to country. In Belgium, for example, shopping on a Sunday depends largely on where you live. According to The Brussels Times, supermarkets have been relatively late in joining other countries in staying open on Sundays, but the trend is becoming increasingly popular.
In France, as a general rule, shops are not allowed to open on Sundays. But the laws surrounding Sunday trading are complex. In Paris and other cities declared tourist zones, many stores remain open. But this depends on the size of the venue and in some cases, footfall—those with more than two million customers per year and accessible by individual and collective transport.
On Sundays, most shops in Germany must close. This is due to restrictions imposed by the Ladenschlussgesetz, or "Shop Closing Law," a federal blue law compelling retail stores to close to the public on Sundays and Christian holidays. There are few exceptions to this long-established rule.
Dutch shoppers enjoy almost unrestricted access to retail businesses on Sundays. All municipalities have the authority to allow shops to open every Sunday, with some welcoming customers as late as 10 pm at night.
Few shops and stores in Sweden close on Sundays. Furthermore, Saturdays and Sundays across the land are designated market days. Some smaller independent stores may choose to have a day off, but on the whole Swedes have enviable access to a long weekend of retail therapy.
Not so in neighboring Norway. Sundays are strictly days of rest, a tradition deeply embedded in Norwegian society that has its roots in both cultural and religious practices.
As a rule in Spain, smaller, local retailers are closed on Sundays, the exception being larger department stores and shopping malls. Shops in towns and areas declared as touristic are allowed to open every Sunday.
While shopping centers and shopping malls in the big cities stay open on Sundays in Portugal, local high street retailers generally close on the seventh day.
Sunday trading in Ireland is regulated by the Shops (Hours of Trading) Act, 1938, though it's largely inactive. By and large, most shops and businesses may open whenever they please, including on Sundays and public holidays. This is certainly so in Dublin.
The majority of large shops in the Czech Republic open on Sundays, for a maximum of six hours. Smaller retailers, though, traditionally adhere to the practice of closing on the seventh day for historical and cultural reasons where Sunday is considered a day of rest and a time for families to be together.
The Danes take advantage of a pretty liberal Sunday opening regime. Department stores and many major retail shops stay open, though opening hours vary from business to business. That said, it's typical for smaller local premises to remain shut.
The Croatian government and the Roman Catholic Church have been at odds with each for decades regarding Sunday trading. In April 2004, the Croatian Constitutional Court overturned a ruling banning Sunday shopping. In January 2009, however, again under pressure from the Catholic Church, the ban was reintroduced. Then, in 2003, it was again illegal to trade on Sundays. By way of a compromise, shops are currently only able to stay open for 16 Sundays a year.
Sunday shopping in Finland was introduced in 1994. Currently, stores with a commercial floor area of less than 4,305 sq ft (400 sq m) are unregulated. Large retailers can stay open from 12 pm to 6 pm. In 2016, laws restricting the opening hours of grocery retailers were lifted.
Poland has some of the strictest trading laws governing Sunday trading in the European Union. Currently, only seven Sundays per year are designated as shopping days when shopping malls, supermarkets, and other stores are allowed to open.
Until March 15, 2015, shopping hours in Hungary were unregulated. A new Sunday shopping ban introduced afterwards significantly changed the way retailers and shopping centers operate in the country. The one exception applies to smaller retail formats, which are allowed to open on Sunday if run by the owner or her/his close family members.
Switzerland has long banned Sunday trading, but that might be about to change. Local shops and supermarkets could soon see Sunday shopping become a regular thing, thanks to a newly approved motion from the National Council. Under the approved plans, the Swiss government would give small grocery stores and supermarkets the right to be open seven days a week.
In Australia, indulging in a spot of retail therapy on a Sunday depends very much on where you are. Each of the country's states and territories has its own laws, and most shops are currently banned from trading before 11 am whatever the location.
Between 1945 and 1980, it was impossible to shop anywhere in New Zealand on Saturdays and Sundays. Liberalized shopping hours in the 1990s reversed these archaic laws, with many supermarkets, grocery stores, some large retail chains, most shopping malls, and markets now operating on Sundays.
There are few restrictions governing Sunday trading in South Africa. In fact, Sunday is seen as a normal shopping day in most towns and cities across the nation.
Sources: (WNYC) (KVRR) (Shared Regulatory Services) (The House of Commons Library) (The Brussels Times) (Fiscal Requirements) (EurobuildCEE)
See also: This is the way we used to shop in the 20th century.
How do blue laws affect Sunday shopping?
Where in the world can you shop on the Sabbath? And where can't you?
LIFESTYLE Society
These days, shopping on a Sunday is pretty much the norm. In fact, given the hectic working week most of us endure, weekends are often the only time available to indulge in a spot of retail therapy, and that includes hitting the high street on the seventh day. But did you know that there are so-called blue laws that govern the way we shop on a Sunday, and that there are some places in the world that still ban the practice during the Sabbath?
If you're planning to make a purchase on a Sunday, check out this gallery before you go shopping.