It’s official, the Sunday roast still rules but the Sabbath is changing

Traditionally a day of rest, Sundays have changed significantly thanks to the wealth of choices Brits now have at their fingertips.

According to a survey commissioned by drinks band Shloer, Sundays still hold a special place in the hearts of South Easterners, but there are many different ways to enjoy them.

The web and Sunday trading have also played their part in changing the face of Sundays as well as the growth in the female workforce across the last decade.

In today’s non-stop society, 41 per cent of South Easterners still view Sundays as special and try to keep it that way while over half of people in the region find it harder to distinguish Sunday from other days of the week when chores, working and surfing the net can make one day look pretty much like the next for many.

Food still proves to be the ultimate way to the region’s hearts, particularly on a Sunday, with the Sunday roast still being enjoyed by 86 per cent of those surveyed at least once a month, showing that it is still one of the region’s most popular meals, shared with family and friends on a regular basis.

About half of South Eastern respondents spend more time with their family on a Sunday than they did 10 years ago, confirming that people like to keep Sundays for sharing with friends and loved ones.

Historian Dominic Sandbrook said: “How people spend their time on Sundays changed most dramatically when the Sunday shopping law was passed in 1994.

“This really opened up the different types of Sundays that we see today. What was once a day for doing very little and staying at home can now be spent doing many different things. Whether it is spending time with family and friends, relaxing at home, shopping, eating out or having some time to yourself, people have more options today and enjoy doing different things with different people.”

Another addition to the Sunday routine is checking Facebook, Twitter and email accounts. More than half (56 per cent) of South Easterners admitted that they check their online accounts up to three times on Sundays to keep in touch with family and friends who are not close by. Over a quarter (26%) of those surveyed do switch off from social media and online activity keeping the traditional day of rest .

Dominic said: “People are clearly spending more and more of their Sundays online - which means they are missing out, sadly, on the genuine, face-to-face interactions that their predecessors would have taken for granted.”