Christmas Day (Trading) Act 2004 facts for kids
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| Long title | An Act to prohibit the opening of large shops on Christmas Day and to restrict the loading or unloading of goods at such shops on Christmas Day. |
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| Citation | 2004 c 26 |
| Territorial extent | England and Wales |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 28 October 2004 |
| Commencement | 9 December 2004 |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Revised text of statute as amended | |
The Christmas Day (Trading) Act 2004 is a special law made by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. This law stops large shops from opening on Christmas Day in England and Wales.
The law applies to shops that are bigger than 280 square meters (about 3,000 square feet). Smaller shops can still open if they want to.
Contents
Why This Law Was Made
This law was created to make sure Christmas Day stays a "special" day. For a long time, it was a tradition for most big shops to close on December 25th.
However, in the late 1990s, some shops, like Woolworths, started to open on Christmas Day. This made many people unhappy.
Who Wanted This Law?
Both religious groups and people who work in shops wanted to stop Christmas Day openings. They felt that Christmas should be a day for everyone to spend with family and friends, not for working or shopping.
They put pressure on the government to create a law. This law would make sure that large shops had to close.
Previous Rules
Before this Act, there were already some rules about shop openings. The Sunday Trading Act 1994 had similar rules. It said that shops could not open on Christmas Day if it fell on a Sunday. It also stopped shops from opening on Easter Day.
How the Law Was Introduced
The Christmas Day (Trading) Act 2004 was first suggested in the House of Commons. This is one of the main parts of the UK Parliament.
It was introduced by Kevan Jones, who was a Member of Parliament (MP) for North Durham. He brought it forward as a "Private Member's Bill." This means it was suggested by an individual MP, not directly by the government.
Similar Law in Scotland
In 2006, the Scottish Parliament discussed a similar law for shops in Scotland. This law was passed in 2007.
The Scottish law also included special rules for shops on New Year's Day.
See also
- Ley para el Comercio en Navidad de 2004 para niños (in Spanish)
