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German Sundays

Sundays in Germany are not the same as in other countries. To Germans, Sunday is a mandatory rest day. Most people don't work except for doctors, nurses, waiters/waitresses and other people who are needed at their working place every day.
All stores/shops/supermarkets etc. are closed. There are a few Sundays a year on which some shops downtown will be open. This is called verkaufsoffener Sonntag, but this phenomena does not happen too often as stores are only allowed to be open on 10 Sundays a year, including the 4 Advent sundays preceding Christmas. Gas stations are open, but they aren't convenience stores as for example gas stations in the US. So you should always plan ahead and not realize on Sunday morning that you ran out of toilet paper, milk or other things you need for the day.
There is no construction working and any kind of noise is to be reduced. You could even get a fine for mowing your lawn on a Sunday. Children are being told that it's Sunday and that, while playing outside, they can't be too noisy.
So what do Germans do on Sundays?
In the mornings, first of all, religious people go to Church. Others like to sleep in and a lot of people have brunch around 10 or 11 o'clock instead of breakfast. Sundays are perfect days to spend some quality time with your family and friends. If the weather is good, you will find a lot of Germans outside: doing sports and other leisure activities, sitting in the backyard, sunbathing, going to flea markets or to the park. It is also a good time to go to the movies (although this is more expensive on the weekends), to the museum, have lunch/dinner in a restaurant or to just stay at home. A lot of students do their homework on Sundays, other people like to hang out at home and do all the things they don't have enough time for during the week or just hang out and enjoy doing nothing.
As you can see, German Sundays are something you have to get used to if you visit Germany or even live here, but not being able to go shopping on Sundays is definitely not the end of the world.

