Commentators in the English-speaking world took notice when the French parliament approved a bill allowing more businesses to open on Sundays. (I discuss this measure in a separate post.)

Some commentators have explained that some French oppose Sunday shopping. But little has been written to explain why French people dislike the new initiative. Here are four specific cultural institutions that the new measure jeopardizes:

  1. Eleven o'clock mass. A longstanding cultural institution, familiar to those who aren't churchgoers: at 11 o'clock on Sunday, the faithful gather at church. Most anywhere in France, there's no need to ask when Sunday mass will be held. My hunch is that this is a holdover from the ancien régime. The hour is late enough to allow people to sleep in (or to get some exercise in the morning). And it segues nicely into lunchtime.
    • An aside on churchgoing sociology in France: there are two exceptions to the eleven o'clock mass custom. The first is "early-bird" mass on Saturday evening; this is usually the Sunday mass, in advance, rather than Saturday mass. It's attended mostly by older women, often widows, possibly to allow them to cook for family on Sunday. The second is "last-call" mass on Sunday evening. It's attended mostly by younger people who spend the weekend with people who aren't churchgoers.
  2. Roast chicken. King Henri IV vowed that his kingdom would be prosperous so that all his subjects, including even the most humble peasant, would enjoy a chicken every Sunday. Roast chicken has been a French institution ever since. French butchers everywhere are equipped with outdoor rotisserie machines. Usually there's a line to claim a Sunday roast chicken.
    • An aside on the food trades. Lost in the discussion of work on Sundays are the food trades, where working is the norm –and practically compulsory– on Sunday morning. Bakers and butchers are al open, as are open-air markets. These merchants close at lunchtime and remain closed on Monday.
  3. Sunday lunch. This is the family meal par excellence. Family is understood as including (grand-)parents, especially if you don't live with them. The expectation is that much of the day will be spent with one's elders (not with buddies or, for example, other families with young children). This tradition formed the setting of Un dimanche à la campagne, a film by Bertrand Tavernier.
    • The tradition involves a sort of musical chairs and calls for advance planning. One Sunday, a couple will visit her parents; another Sunday, they'll visit his. Grandparents, siblings, and family squabbles complicate negotiations.
  4. Elections. In France, elections are held on Sundays, everywhere and always.