The pubs are never opening again!

Well, that seems to be the attitude of Irish people around this time of the year. Twice a year, the pubs close for a whole day and off licenses etc aren't supposed to sell drink (Good Friday and Xmas day), and both times you see people the day before coming out of the supermarkets with trollies packed to the brim full of booze. There's more drink bought on Holy Thursday and Xmas Eve than I'd say in the 2-3 weeks before each put together, and more alcohol probably drank on those days than when the pubs are actually open. Sort of misses the whole point of "day of fast and abstinence" doesn't it really?

It's like primitive man sacrificing animals at midwinter so the sun will come up again, people seem to be afraid that when the pubs shut this evening, they won't ever open again.......