It was only in 2018 that the ban on selling alcohol on Good Friday was lifted – but some are now questioning if we should bring it back.
Spokesperson for Aid to the Church in Need Ireland Michael Kelly told The Hard Shoulder that whether people celebrate Good Friday in a religious capacity or not, it is healthy for all cultures to have sacred times.
“We live very much in a culture now of kind of unregulated capitalism,” he said.
“The dollar or the euro always wins out; I mean, supermarkets will say that they’re opening extra hours to be more convenient to everyone.
“The reality is they’re opening extra house to maximise profits and deliver better yields to their shareholders – so, that’s the reality of the situation.”
Mr Kelly said that there are a lot of benefits for cultures that practice “synchronised rest”.
Main image: A party of four clink glasses (2 pints of cask ale and 2 half pints of cider) and say cheers at The Black Bull Inn in Frosterley, County Durham, UK.
