Information AboutBlue Law |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT BLUE LAW | |
| sunday | |
| religious law | |
| american political terms | |
| SHOPPER'S DELIGHT | |
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A blue law, in the United States and Canada , is a type of Law restricting certain activities, particularly Shopping Hours , on Sunday. It had its roots in accommodating Christian Sunday worship, although it persists to this day more as a matter of tradition. The term ''blue law'' may have been first used by Reverend Samuel Peters in his book ''General History of Connecticut,'' which was first published in 1781, to refer to various laws first enacted by Puritan colonies in the 17th Century which prohibited the selling of certain types of merchandise and retail or business activity of any kind on certain days of the week (usually Sunday). In Texas , for example, blue laws prohibited selling housewares such as pots, pans, and washing machines on Sunday until 1985; Texas as well as Colorado , Illinois , Indiana , Michigan and Minnesota car dealerships continue to operate under blue-law prohibitions in which an automobile may not be purchased or traded on a Sunday. Many U.S. states still prohibit selling Alcohol on Sunday, or at least before noon on Sunday. Many unusual features of American Culture — such as the fact that one can buy groceries, office supplies, and housewares from a Drug Store — are the result of blue laws, as drug stores were generally allowed to remain open on Sunday to accommodate emergency medical needs. The ubiquitous "weekend" is also a result of blue laws, although it is practiced nearly worldwide, except in some Islamic countries (who have their weekend on Thursday and Friday) and in Israel (where the weekend is from mid-day on Friday and all of Saturday). HISTORY Contrary to popular belief, there is no evidence to support the assertion that the blue laws were originally printed on blue paper. Rather, the word ''blue'' was commonly used in the 18th century as a disparaging reference to rigid moral codes and those who observed them (e.g., ") It is highly likely that all blue laws stem from the first such statute set down by the Emperor Constantine 1300 years before the Puritans:
Many European countries still place strong restrictions on store opening hours on Sundays, an example being Germany 's Ladenschlussgesetz . Bergen County, New Jersey One of the last remaining blue laws in the United States that covers virtually all selling is found in Bergen County, New Jersey . It has produced the ironic situation that one of the largest and most popular commercial shopping cores of the New York Metropolitan Area is almost completely closed on Sunday (grocery stores are allowed to operate). The county is not considered a particularly religious area. Bergen County has significant Jewish and Muslim populations whose observant members would not be celebrating their Sabbath on Sunday. The substantial Orthodox Jewish minority is placed in the position of being unable to shop either on Sunday (due to the blue laws) or on Saturday (due to religious observance). However, repeated attempts to lift the law have failed as many locals either see keeping the law on the books as a protest against the growing trend toward increasing hours and days of commercial activity in American society or enjoy the sharply reduced traffic on major roads and highways on Sunday that is normally seen the other days of the week. In fact, a large part of the reason for maintaining the laws has been a desire for relative peace and quiet one day of the week by many Bergen County residents. This desire for relative peace is most apparent in Paramus, New Jersey , where most of the largest shopping malls of Bergen County are located, and which has blue laws of its own that are even more restrictive than those enforced by Begen County. Court Cases The Supreme Court Of Canada , in the case of '' Her Majesty The Queen In Right Of Canada V. Big M Drug Mart Ltd. '', The Supreme Court Of The United States held in '' McGowan V. Maryland '' (1961) that Maryland 's blue laws violated neither the Free Exercise Clause nor the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment To The United States Constitution . While such laws originated to encourage attendance at Christian churches, the contemporary Maryland laws were intended to promote the secular values of "health, safety, recreation, and general well-being" through a common day of rest. That this day coincides with the Christian Sabbath neither reduces its effectiveness for secular purposes nor prevents adherents of other religions from observing their own holy days. The status of blue laws vis-à-vis the Free Exercise Clause conceivably would have to be re-evaluated if challenged by an adherent of a religion which required the conduct of commerce on Sunday. SEE ALSO |