Blue or Not?
I remember, when I was a child, Massachusetts still had its Blue Laws on the books. Sundays were days to stay home, maybe go for a drive, but that was it. The only places open were the local Korean market and Dunkin' Donuts, and only in the morning. There, we could buy the Sunday paper and a hearty breakfast. Everything else was shuttered up.
Sometime in the 1980's, the Blue Laws were sent into history. Any store that wanted could open between 12 and 6 PM. From doing only Sunday drives down to Quincy and Canton, and other occasional points further south of Boston, we changed to driving down to Dedham Mall and spending Sunday afternoons there. Much later, I sometimes would go downtown when my parents didn't feel like going out.
My family worked during the week and did its banking and shopping on Saturday mornings. While we strolled through the mall on Sunday afternoons, we would sometimes buy something, sometimes just check out novelties, sometimes buy something we forgot the day before, and sometimes just window shop in a warm dry place as a change from sitting in the house. It was a small change from routine.
When we first arrived in Spain, Sundays were respected by stores. The only stores that opened on a Sunday morning were those that sold the newspapers and bars and cafés. The only exceptions were the weekly markets. With those markets, one really didn't need to visit a store because you can find virtually anything. The only things you can't find are fine jewelry and high brand names, and the brand names you still might find from a store that liquidated its stock when it closed.
After a few years, the Blue Laws were slightly altered. Now, stores can open on certain Sundays. All the Sundays in December are open season, as are certain Sundays before holidays or when summer and winter sales begin. The rest of Sundays are still observed as days of rest, except for the weekly markets.
We used to go to the weekly market in nearby Padrón every Sunday, but gradually we stopped. Now, we might go as far as the nearest bakery to buy a loaf of fresh bread, or to the Sunday market in Rianxo, but no further. Some Decembers we might go on a Sunday afternoon to the department store El Corte Inglés, in Santiago. But only right after lunch when the crowds are at a minimum, and we come directly home when the mobs start to congregate. With each passing year we feel the need to keep up with the novelties in stores declining. Partly because we are on a budget, partly because we realize more and more that we don't need many of the things being shoved at us. We have a working television, we each have working phones, we have a working desk top computer, and working lap tops. We have the clothes we need, and we're not going to buy new bed clothes just because new designs or colors are in fashion. Nor am I going to get new shoes until these fall apart. (They're too comfortable and new shoes are a bother to break in.)
We continue to shop as the need arises, and while sometimes it's fun just to see what's new in stores, we don't feel the need to follow the crowd with a credit card. Not even on Sundays.
Sometime in the 1980's, the Blue Laws were sent into history. Any store that wanted could open between 12 and 6 PM. From doing only Sunday drives down to Quincy and Canton, and other occasional points further south of Boston, we changed to driving down to Dedham Mall and spending Sunday afternoons there. Much later, I sometimes would go downtown when my parents didn't feel like going out.
My family worked during the week and did its banking and shopping on Saturday mornings. While we strolled through the mall on Sunday afternoons, we would sometimes buy something, sometimes just check out novelties, sometimes buy something we forgot the day before, and sometimes just window shop in a warm dry place as a change from sitting in the house. It was a small change from routine.
When we first arrived in Spain, Sundays were respected by stores. The only stores that opened on a Sunday morning were those that sold the newspapers and bars and cafés. The only exceptions were the weekly markets. With those markets, one really didn't need to visit a store because you can find virtually anything. The only things you can't find are fine jewelry and high brand names, and the brand names you still might find from a store that liquidated its stock when it closed.
After a few years, the Blue Laws were slightly altered. Now, stores can open on certain Sundays. All the Sundays in December are open season, as are certain Sundays before holidays or when summer and winter sales begin. The rest of Sundays are still observed as days of rest, except for the weekly markets.
We used to go to the weekly market in nearby Padrón every Sunday, but gradually we stopped. Now, we might go as far as the nearest bakery to buy a loaf of fresh bread, or to the Sunday market in Rianxo, but no further. Some Decembers we might go on a Sunday afternoon to the department store El Corte Inglés, in Santiago. But only right after lunch when the crowds are at a minimum, and we come directly home when the mobs start to congregate. With each passing year we feel the need to keep up with the novelties in stores declining. Partly because we are on a budget, partly because we realize more and more that we don't need many of the things being shoved at us. We have a working television, we each have working phones, we have a working desk top computer, and working lap tops. We have the clothes we need, and we're not going to buy new bed clothes just because new designs or colors are in fashion. Nor am I going to get new shoes until these fall apart. (They're too comfortable and new shoes are a bother to break in.)
We continue to shop as the need arises, and while sometimes it's fun just to see what's new in stores, we don't feel the need to follow the crowd with a credit card. Not even on Sundays.
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