Final answer:
Long Sunday holidays contributed to the collapse by promoting a pattern of heavy drinking among workers, leading to impaired performance and reliability, which negatively affected economic stability. This behavior was present in various historical contexts, showcasing how drinking culture during periods of leisure could contribute to broader societal and economic vulnerabilities.
Step-by-step explanation:
Long Sunday holidays had a significant role in the events leading to the collapse depicted in the provided text excerpts. Workers would spend the entire day consuming alcohol, which led to them arriving at work hungover or still intoxicated on Mondays. Employers attempted to remedy this by shortening Saturday work hours, anticipating that men would cease drinking earlier in the evening. Despite receiving a full two-day weekend, the pattern of alcohol consumption and its effects persisted, negatively impacting the workforce's effectiveness and reliability.
Moreover, the Stock Market Crash of 1929 is described as being influenced by a culture of heavy drinking among businessmen and brokers. They too engaged in excessive alcohol consumption, which likely clouded their judgments and exacerbated the ensuing panic. This behavior reflects an environment where personal and economic decisions may have been influenced by excessive drinking, contributing to the larger turmoil.
Similarly, the text relating to the effect of holidays on slaves also mentions heavy drinking, further suggesting that such periods fostered societal and economic vulnerabilities. These excerpts collectively illustrate how periods of leisure and the habits that accompanied them played a role in compromising economic stability and labor reliability, contributing to various collapses and crises throughout history.