Why Aren't The Shops in Poland Open on Sundays?

Ok, I know the answer.... it's because some people believe that a virgin (yea right!) rose up into the sky and thats why the shops are closed today.

But surely in this day and age this needs to stop, no?

Can we get something like a petition started, I'll need some help from a Polish native-speaker....like if an online petition was started and signed by people then maybe the morons that run the tescos, carrefours etc will listen and stop closing shops just because of some religious mumbo-jumbo

Please, I dont want this to turn into the usual religious bashing, because most on this forum are in agreement that it's bullsh*t but we're all willing to live with people's choice to believe in whatever they want.

However, this belief effects me when i can't go to the feckin shop and buy some grub for the day, now i gotta wait until my local Zabka open at 12.00, that's 90mins away and Ive been hungry since 8am

Anyway, do you think a signed petition would work and does anyone know how to go about it?

btw, huge thunderstorm over Katowice...mary is obviously coming in(to) heaven :-P

I think shops could be open on Sunday, but employers will need to come to some sort of agreement with their personnel. (Shift work perhaps?) We need our breaks sometimes, you know..

:)

I agree workers should get maybe time and a half or double time on Sundays, but the thing is that the shops are usually open on sundays, it's when you have these idiotic religious days that they close, i mean thats completely stupid to close a shop for religious reasons

Shops don't HAVE to open for you, and even if there wasn't a law forcing them to close, many would still be shut; give a Pole the chance to take a day off and they will do, gladly (and fair play to them for it, too. There's no point working yourself into an early grave.)

Poles still haven't learned any respect for capitalism; take a simple walk around town during July or August and see how many shops are closed for vacations. Shutting your business for two weeks so that you can sit on the Polish coast? Fine, just don't expect my custom when you come back; I'll find a shop that wants to earn my money from me.

From the religious aspect, many people do, deep down, find the idea of working on a Sunday a sin; from another angle, there are many who need to travel back to their village at weekends, and need that Sunday to do so; if shops were allowed to open on Sunday then bosses would demand of their stuff at least one Sunday shift a month, and many would find that intolerable.

There was a period (Easter-Smolensk crash-May Day) when the biggest shopping malls in Warsaw were closed for four weekends in six; this was unbelievable, absolutely incredible for me.

I'd say we should let every employer or shop owner decide for him or herself.

:)

Richfilth wrote:


well said.

I feel the same way.....i'll leave it at that so as to not strike a nerve with Team Poland or Team Jesus for that matter on this forum.

shops on Sundey should be closed, ofc. you can start petition etc. but it won`t change anything. You can change the shop, I will buy in "christian" shop

There is no law forcing them to close every Sunday.

Shops are closed today: Assumption Day and for Independence day, constitution day, Easter, Corpus Christi, Christmas, New Year's Day and All Saints' Day.
I think that's it.

Richfilth and FUZZY are right here. Jeden, what's with the 'should be'? That's such a typically Catholic attitude. Should be this, should be that. Nobody has addressed the question. A random whim?

since we live in a democratic society then it shouldn't simply be decided just on the basis that one group believe something special happened on that that day.

Not fair that the rest of us have to suffer just coz we dont adhere to some religious mumbo-jumbo

I'm interested to know where Jesus said that shops should close ;) After all, he put himself on the cross for all of us. Shouldn't he be the ultimate authority? ;)

I'm sure Jesus would have approved of people going the shops and buying fish, bread and wine. I could be wrong, though :)

But otoh I guess you already knew yesterday that the shops would be closed today.

In the Netherlands the shops are closed every Sunday (and some also on Monday morning). So, I see to it that I have everything I need before Saturday 2000 when the local supermarket closes. And if I need something from the local off-licence (cause a supermarket over here isn't allowed to sell strong alcohol) or butcher, I have to see to it that I go there before 1730 on Saturday or I am too late.

Not really a big issue, to be honest. Just a little planning ahead. It's not that we are some headless chickens, now are we?

a) Poles, whether they behave as such or not, are mostly Catholic. That's the biggest group. The biggest group in a democracy gets what it wants.

b) In a democracy you're free to choose who you want your lawmakers to be. People here keep voting for Catholics; in fact, for some strange reason, it seems you NEED to be Catholic to get the job.

So as far as democracy is concerned, everything's fine. But, if SeanBM is right and there's no law* forcing them to close, the financial democracy known as capitalism means that the first shop that opens on these days will profit, and all the others will either have to change their ways, or go out of business. It's just that no-one wants to be first.

As for planning your shopping: I work during the week, often into the evening. Local shops don't even open until 10am on weekdays, and that's just what the sign says; I've had to stand waiting outside long past 10am until the slovenly wench who's supposed to serve me pet food and muesli bothers to unlock the front door. Poles won't learn how silly this attitude is until the big 24-hour supermarkets have forced small shops out of business, like they're doing in England, and then it'll be too late. I like my local store with its odd selection of cakes and unpasteurised beer, but if they can't be bothered to pay a student 6zl an hour to man the tills in the morning, or evening, or Sundays, I really can't have any sympathy for them.

*the actual law is about National holidays, not Sundays, right?

It's a feckin huge issue when the shop had no signs telling us it was gonna be closed and an even bigger issue when this irishman doesn't get his sunday morning breakfast

The more i think about it the angrier i get, I'm still starving and the local shop still isn't open yet.

Anyway, nobody gonna help me with gettin a petition going then eh?

I remember it used to be similar in Ireland.

I remember as a kid the shops were closed but then suddenly everything was open on Sundays, cant remember the year, but it was sometime between 1989-90 maybe earlier.

I do remember one bishop giving out about it and he was basically told where to go

look, i've no problem with the retail shops closing, like media shops/book shops/clothes shops but it's really dumb to close grocery shops, anyway, i'm off to buy me brekkie, they're prob be a queue a half a mile long so talk to yas later

Hi, Am amazed its another no shop day in Poland...

I have been caught out on this every time its happened coz i do my weekly shop on a sunday.... I have 4 local grocery stores and they are all closed.

Does anyone know if Arcadia, or galleria is open in warsaw? Or alternatively does anyone know where i can buy milk and lunch anywhere around Muranov?

thanks in advance

January 1 New Year's Day Nowy Rok (Nowy Rok)

Sunday in Spring (movable) Easter Sunday pierwszy dzień Wielkiej Nocy (Niedziela Wielkanocna)

Monday following Easter Sunday Easter Monday drugi dzień Wielkiej Nocy (Poniedziałek Wielkanocny)

May 1 Labor Day Święto Państwowe (Święto Pracy) This holiday is not officially called Labor Day (see below), but it is commonly called that and coincides with Labor Day as celebrated internationally on May 1.

May 3 Constitution Day Święto Narodowe Trzeciego Maja (Święto Konstytucji Trzeciego Maja)
7th Sunday after Easter Pentecost Sunday pierwszy dzień Zielonych Świątek (Zielone Świątki) As this holiday always falls on a Sunday it is not widely known.

9th Thursday after Easter Corpus Christi dzień Bożego Ciała (Boże Ciało) This is a Catholic Church Holiday

August 15 Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Wniebowzięcie Najświętszej Maryi Panny This is also the day of the Polish army (Dzień Wojska Polskiego), celebrating the battle of Warsaw in 1920

November 1 All Saints' Day Wszystkich Świętych

November 11 Independence Day Narodowe Święto Niepodległości (Dzień Niepodległości)

December 25 Christmas Day pierwszy dzień Bożego Narodzenia

December 26 Second day of Christmas drugi dzień Bożego Narodzenia

One sure bet is gas stations. You just have to have one close.

Neil, there's a small shop on ul Leszno, corner with Okopowa if you're driving towards Wola Park. That place was open last time I needed essentials on one of these Workshy Weekends. I can almost guarantee that all the big shopping centres will be closed.

look for a Zabka shop. they usually have an agreement with each other as to which is open and when. at least that's the case in these parts.

Cool thanks Rich,

I presume Arkadia is closed but there website says nothing.... If all else fails ill jump in the motor, thanks for your help! :-)

i've just been out 4 ciggies. my local -abka was open.

great stuff today, Richfilth. preach on, brother!

Today is national day. We celebrate the victory in 1920 also is the day of polish army, therefore the shops are closed. On the normal Sunday shops are open, although I almost never buy then. IMO when is national celebrating, shops should be closed. I don`t see anything wrong with that some people ( shops owner) want to go on the holidays, and their shops are closed for 2 weeks. I don`t see anything wrong with that shops owner don`t want to work in Sundays, their shops so they can. If you wanna boycot them, here you are, I won`t

as i have mentioned some shops are open. profit for some comes first.

Maybe they should sever all ties with the outside world and only stock vinegar and, from time to time, toilet paper as a rare treat? Did the progress to Pewex tip you over? ;)

Why not close the shops forever and go on a permanent holiday?

What does Polish army day have to do with shops? Maybe they should close the shops for name days? What do you think?

Well, America has nukes. Their nukes so they can.....

Funny, I thought that the shops being closed had more to do with this being the day that an unfaithful wife went to go live in the sky kingdom?

In shops wchich are opened can work today only owner.

Seanus your argument with nukes is ****. You don`t respect people who want to relax on holidays and on Sunday and this is more important for them than your posibility of buying chips today. Their property and they can closed it for one day a week.

You really do not have to be THAT disrespectful. If you are an atheist, fine - I am one myself. But that does not give you the right to be all patronising and condescending to those of us who happen to believe in the Lady in question. I resent your attitude.

You don't have to block out the word 'good' :)

We also believe that Sunday is the day of rest, jeden. There are no chippies here so I don't eat chips ;)

So, not glued to your screen, jeden? Enjoy the ceremony? Was it action packed?