Zakaz handlu w niedzielę

Zakaz handlu w niedziele- jest to jedna z powszechnie znanych ustaw w Polsce, która weszła w życie całkiem niedawno. W Kanadzie taki zwyczaj nie należy do kultywowanych-wręcz przeciwnie, w niedziele ludzie zaczynają “prowadzić życie”.  Dla kanadyjczyków jest to dzień, w którym mogą  spędzić czas ze znajomymi: wspólnie wyjść do kina, restauracji bądź na zakupy. Nie bez przyczyny nazywają ten dzień “Sunday Funday”.

Sunday Funday

    In Canada and the USA, Sunday's are affectionately known as "Sunday Funday." It is very common when you are scrolling through your Facebook feed on Sunday evenings or on Mondays to see posts captioned with "Sunday Funday!" People are celebrating many different Sunday activities, from shopping at the mall, attending the new releases at the movies, even extending the Saturday night festivities well into the next day. Unlike Poland, the cities do not completely shut down on Sunday. It is a major day for retail, restaurants and entertainment. Local shops may be closed for the day if they choose. The only thing that changes is that most businesses open later and close earlier.

        Getting used to the very, very slow pace of Poland on Sunday is more difficult than other aspects of life in Poland. Virtually all retail is closed on Sundays. I have learned that this is because of a law banning trade on Sundays. As a foreigner from North America this baffles me. What am I supposed to do on Sundays? Most of my adult life I have lived on a schedule of working on Sundays and then doing my grocery shopping after my shift as late as 10pm. Any Sundays I had off were spent with my friends at some store or at the movies. And if I am away from home on Sundays, they are spent exploring shops and anything else the city has to offer. Someone could argue, "if Canada had the trade ban then you would get all Sundays off, wouldn't that be great?" I would want to agree, but when I was in university I needed the work on Sundays. University in North America comes with a hefty price tag. If I couldn't work on Sundays I would have had to go into debt to pay for school.

      But talking about a trade ban in Canada isn't even a theoretical situation, it is a fantasy. Canada is a secular country. This means that religion plays no part in how the country is run. The government and religion are separate institutions. If such a bill (law) were proposed it would be ripped apart on the floor in the Parliament of Canada. While Christianity is still the most popular religion in Canada; any religion, God or gods, and any religious writings  are actively and loudly rejected in any government matters. It is believed that religion is a personal and private choice. ​