Kathryn, I read that Journal piece with interest (and delight that the law has been changed), but it’s difficult to think that the real issue here is really Sabbatarianism – if it was, the law would have covered far more than liquor stores. The subtext here is, as so often, taboos about alcohol consumption.

In England, strangely, there were until, I think, quite recently extremely onerous, and in their effect somewhat bizarre, restrictions on Sunday trading. One example? Pornography could be sold on a Sunday, but Bibles could not.