GO to church, then have a big lunch, then go out to play while mum does the housework. That was a typical British Sunday in the 1960s. But things now could not be more different.
A typical British Sunday today is like this: head to the gym in the morning, have lunch at a gastropub (pub-restaurant mixture); then go to a museum or the cinema and go to some shops to buy food; then back home, watch TV, and finally settle down for a quiet supper.
For millions of Britons, Sundays have changed. They''ve gone from quiet days of religious reflection and housework to happy shopping and socializing.
Some British sociologists recently studied the typical British Sunday. They found that people get up later and do less housework than they did 40 years ago. They are far more likely to be out shopping or enjoying themselves than cooking Sunday lunch.
Sunday mornings were busy 40 years ago. Most women caught up on their weekly housework and cooked a nice lunch. They rarely allowed themselves any "leisure" until afternoon, after the dishes were cleaned. Then there would be another rush to the table between 5:00 pm and 6:00 pm for tea.
But now, Britons can have brunch at the gastropub. Fewer people bother to cook themselves.
"You only have two free days a week. You don''t want to have to waste one because there is nothing to do but watch boring TV," said Elizabeth Biggs, 25, a producer in London.
"On Saturday you are recovering from the week," Biggs added. "Sundays are the last chance for the weekend - you want to get as much as you can out of the day before you have to go back to work."
In the past, British women usually did their shopping during the week, while the husband was at work. "Now men seem to do that as much as women," said Jonathan Gershuny, a professor who participated in the study.
Men also do more housework now on Sundays. Back in the 1960s, men were far more likely to spend Sundays out of the house ?at the pub or playing football — before lunch.
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Briton: 英国人 brunch: 早午餐
reflection: 沉思，反省
They used to be boring
Sundays in England could be fairly boring in the past. Sunday was always a traditional day for rest and religion. People were supposed to go to church. Shops were not even allowed to open on Sundays until 1994. Even now, shops are only open for a maximum of six hours. Recently there has been debate in England as to whether opening hours should be extended to the same period as on weekdays.
Some people say that religion is now less popular because there are more activities to get involved in. Going to church is no longer a popular activity for many British.
Many British enjoy doing DIY (do-it-yourself) activities on Sundays, like painting, decorating, and building things in the home. Shops that sell DIY tools are always very busy on Sunday mornings.
Transport at the weekends can be more limited than on weekdays. Travelling around both locally and nationally can also be more difficult because repairs to trains and tracks are often done then.
For young people, Sundays are usually a day for seeing friends, playing or watching sport, or shopping and generally relaxing before going back to work or college the following day.
By Lisa Aldwinckle
