Holiday Instead of Holy Day? A Qualitative Inquiry on the Spiritual Quality of People’s Activities on Sunday

Abstract

AbstractDaily routine on Sunday is changing. Formerly a day of religious contemplation, Sunday seems to be a day of rest within the family. Does this change in activities done on a typical Sunday imply an end of spiritual quality? To answer this question this paper conceptualizes spirituality as experience of connectedness to some greater reality which is regarded as important and meaningful. Four options are possible concerning this greater reality: a transcendent reality, nature or cosmos, mankind, or the individual’s self. The data has been collected by semi-structured interview and analyzed by qualitative content analysis. 148 individuals did take part in these interviews (57% females, age range: 7 to 59; 64% Catholics and 22% Protestants). The findings point at Sunday spent with family. Further on we could identify activities representing all four types of spirituality. Together these examples point at the conclusion that Sunday still is a special day within the week. Its activities offer spiritual quality, but it is the individual to reassure it.