Here’s something you December revelers probably didn’t know: In the District, Sundays are for boozing — if Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve happen to fall on the first day of the week, as they do this year.
The D.C. Code now allows liquor stores to be open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Dec. 24 and Dec. 31, even though both fall on a Sunday when Class A retailers — those that sell spirits — are legally obligated to close.
The change, lobbied for by beverage wholesalers and retailers, was adopted by the D.C. Council in 2004 as part of an overhaul of the city’s alcohol-related laws, though this is the first year it has had an impact.
“I presume it’s big enough they wanted to stay open,” said Paul Pascal, president and counsel with the D.C. Association of Beverage Alcohol Wholesalers, who worked to develop the statutory revision. “How much business they’ll do I don’t know, but I would imagine NewYear’s Eve would be a busy day for people.”
The two holidays fall on a Sunday roughly every six years.
Another change adopted in the same omnibus bill: Nightclubs, bars, restaurants and hotels may now sell alcohol until 4 a.m. Jan. 1, one hour later than the standard closing time.
