blue laws

     

A blue law is a type of law in the Unite States and Canada designed to enforce moral standards, particularly the observance of Sunday as a day of worship or rest. Most have been repealed, declared unconstitutional or are simply unenforced, although prohibitions on the sale of alcoholic beverages, and occasionally almost all commerce, on Sundays are still enforced in many areas. Blue laws often prohibit an activity only during certain hours and there are usually exceptions to the prohibition of commerce, like grocery and drug stores. In some places blue laws may be enforced due to religious principles, but others are retained as a matter of tradition or out of convenience.

Trivia about blue laws

  • The first of these "colorful" laws was enacted in 1619 to punish failure to attend church
  • Dating from colonial times, they prohibit such activities as dancing or buying liquor on Sundays
  • These statutes forbid certain secular activity on Sundays
  • These rules got their name from the paper color they were printed on in New Haven Colony in the 17th century