Blue law - wikipedia Blue law Jump to : navigation , search This article is about laws created to enforce strict moral standards . For early Colony of Connecticut laws , see Blue Laws ( Connecticut ) . Sabbath Eve , painting by Alexander Johnston . Blue laws , also known as Sunday laws , are laws designed to restrict or ban some or all Sunday activities for religious reasons , particularly to promote the observance of a day of worship or rest . Blue laws may also restrict shopping or ban sale of certain items on specific days , most often on Sundays in the western world . Blue laws are enforced in parts of the United States and Canada as well as some European countries , particularly in Austria , Germany , Switzerland , and Norway , keeping most stores closed on Sundays . In the United States , the U.S. Supreme Court has held blue laws as constitutional numerous times , citing secular basis such as securing a day of rest for mail carriers , as well as protecting workers and families , in turn contributing to societal stability and guaranteeing the free exercise of religion . The origin of the blue laws also partially stems from religion , particularly the prohibition of Sabbath desecration in Christian Churches following the first - day Sabbatarian tradition . Both labour unions and trade associations have historically supported the legislation of blue laws . Blue laws are technically classed as `` mala prohibita '' or `` wrong ( as or because ) prohibited '' ( as opposed to `` mala in se '' or `` wrong or evil in itself '' ) . Most blue laws have been repealed in the United States , although many states still ban the sale of alcoholic beverages or cars on Sundays . Contents ( hide ) 1 History 2 Canada 3 Cook Islands , Tonga and Niue 4 Denmark 5 England and Wales 5.1 Before 1994 5.2 Since 1994 6 Northern Ireland 7 United States 7.1 Court cases 8 See also 9 References 10 Bibliography 11 External links History ( edit ) The very first known law regarding prohibition of Sunday labor for religious reasons was in 538 at the Third Council of Orléans . The first occurrence of the phrase blue laws so far found is in the New - York Mercury of March 3 , 1755 , where the writer imagines a future newspaper praising the revival of `` our Connecticut 's old Blue Laws '' . In his 1781 book General History of Connecticut , the Reverend Samuel Peters ( 1735 -- 1826 ) used it to describe various laws first enacted by Puritan colonies in the 17th century that prohibited various activities , recreational as well as commercial , on Sunday ( Saturday evening through Sunday night ) . Sometimes the sale of certain types of merchandise was prohibited , and in some cases all retail and business activity . Contrary to popular belief , there is no evidence that blue laws were originally printed on blue paper . Rather , the word blue was used in the 17th century as a disparaging reference to rigid moral codes and those who observed them , particularly in blue - stocking , a reference to Oliver Cromwell 's supporters in the parliament of 1653 . Moreover , although Reverend Peters claimed that the term blue law was originally used by Puritan colonists , his work has since been found to be unreliable . In any event , Peters never asserted that the blue laws were originally printed on blue paper , and this has come to be regarded as an example of false etymology , another version of which is that the laws were first bound in books with blue covers . As Protestant moral reformers organized the Sabbath reform in nineteenth - century America , calls for the enactment and / or enforcement of stricter Sunday laws developed . Numerous Americans were arrested for working , keeping an open shop , drinking alcohol , traveling , and recreating on Sundays . Erwin Fahlbusch and Geoffrey William Bromiley write that throughout their existence , organizations advocating first - day Sabbatarianism , such as the Lord 's Day Alliance in North America and the Lord 's Day Observance Society in the British Isles , were supported by labor unions in lobbying `` to prevent secular and commercial interests from hampering freedom of worship and from exploiting workers . '' For example , the United States Congress was supported by the Lord 's Day Alliance in securing `` a day of rest for city postal clerks whose hours of labor , unlike those of city mail carriers , were largely unregulated . '' In Canada , the Ligue du Dimanche , a Roman Catholic Sunday league , supported the Lord 's Day Act in 1923 and promoted first - day Sabbatarian legislation . Beginning in the 1840s , workingmen , Jews , Seventh Day Baptists , free - thinkers , and other groups began to organize opposition . Throughout the century , Sunday laws served as a major source of church - state controversy and as an issue that drove the emergence of modern American minority - rights politics . On the other hand , the more recent Dies Domini , written by Pope John Paul II in 1998 , advocates Sunday legislation in that it protects civil servants and workers ; the North Dakota Catholic Conference in 2011 likewise maintained that blue laws , in accordance with the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church , `` ensure that , for reasons of economic productivity , citizens are not denied time for rest and divine worship . '' Similarly , Chief Justice Earl Warren , while acknowledging the partial religious origin of blue laws , acknowledged their `` secular purpose they served by providing a benefit to workers at the same time that they enhanced labor productivity . '' Many European countries still place strong restrictions on store opening hours on Sundays , an example being Germany 's Ladenschlussgesetz . Canada ( edit ) Sunday Laws in Ontario , 1911 The Lord 's Day Act , which since 1906 had prohibited business transactions from taking place on Sundays , was declared unconstitutional in the 1985 case R. v. Big M Drug Mart Ltd . Calgary police officers witnessed several transactions at the Big M Drug Mart , all of which occurred on a Sunday . Big M was charged with a violation of the Lord 's Day Act . A provincial court ruled that the Lord 's Day Act was unconstitutional , but the Crown proceeded to appeal all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada . In a unanimous 6 -- 0 decision , the Lord 's Day Act was ruled an infringement of the freedom of conscience and religion defined in section 2 ( a ) of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms . A Toronto referendum in 1950 allowed only team sports to be played professionally on Sunday . Theatre performances , movie screenings , and horse racing were not permitted until the 1960s . The Supreme Court later concluded , in R. v. Edwards Books and Art Ltd. , ( 1986 ) ( 2 S.C.R. 713 ) that Ontario 's Retail Business Holiday Act , which required some Sunday closings , did not violate the Charter because it did not have a religious purpose . Nonetheless , as of today , virtually all provincial Sunday Closing laws have ceased to exist . Some were struck down by provincial courts , but most were simply abrogated , often due to competitive reasons where out - of - province or foreign merchants were open . Cook Islands , Tonga and Niue ( edit ) In the Cook Islands , blue laws were the first written legislation , enacted by the London Missionary Society in 1827 , with the consent of ariki ( chiefs ) . In Tonga , the Vava'u Code ( 1839 ) was inspired by Methodist missionary teachings , and was a form of blue law . In Niue , certain activities remain forbidden on Sunday , reflecting the country 's history of observing Christian Sabbath tradition . Denmark ( edit ) In Denmark the closing laws restricting retail trade on Sundays have been abolished with effect from October 1 , 2012 . From then on retail trade is only restricted on public holidays ( New Years Day , Maundy Thursday , Good Friday , Easter Sunday , Easter Monday , Day of Prayer , Ascension Day , Whit Sunday , Whit Monday , Christmas Day and Boxing Day ) and on Constitution Day , Christmas Eve and New Year 's Eve ( on New Year 's Eve from 3 pm only ) . On these days almost all shops will remain closed . Exempt are bakeries , DIYs , garden centres , gas stations and smaller supermarkets . England and wales ( edit ) Before 1994 ( edit ) Prior to 1994 , trading laws forbade sale of certain products on a Sunday ; the distinction between those that could and could not be sold was increasingly seen as arbitrary , and the laws were inadequately enforced and widely flouted . For example , some supermarkets would treat the relatively modest fines arising as a business cost and open nonetheless . Since 1994 ( edit ) The Sunday Trading Act 1994 relaxed restrictions on Sunday trading . This produced vocal opposition from bodies such as the Keep Sunday Special campaign , and the Lord 's Day Observance Society : on religious grounds , on the grounds that it would increase consumerism , and that it would reduce shop assistants ' weekend leisure time . The legislation permits large shops ( those with a relevant floor area in excess of 280 square metres ) to open for up to six hours on Sunday between the hours of 10 am and 6 pm . Small shops , those with an area of below 280 square metres , are free to set their own Sunday trading times . Some large shops , such as off - licences , service stations and garages , are exempt from the restrictions . Some very large shops ( e.g. department stores ) open for longer than 6 hours on a Sunday by allowing customers in to browse 30 minutes prior to allowing them to make a purchase , since the 6 hour restriction only applies to time during which the shop may make sales . Christmas Day and Easter Sunday are non-trading days . This applies even to garden centres , which earlier had been trading over Easter , but not to small shops ( those with an area of below 280 square metres ) . Northern Ireland ( edit ) Prior to 2008 , no football was permitted to be played on Sundays by clubs affiliated to the Irish Football Association in Northern Ireland . Shops with a floor area of over 280 square metres may only open from 1 to 6pm on Sundays . United States ( edit ) Main article : Blue laws in the United States In the United States , judges have defended blue laws `` in terms of their secular benefit to workers '' , holding that `` the laws were essential to social well - being '' . Chief Justice Stephen Johnson Field , with regard to Sunday blue laws , stated : Its requirement is a cessation from labor . In its enactment , the legislature has given the sanction of law to a rule of conduct , which the entire civilized world recognizes as essential to the physical and moral well - being of society . Upon no subject is there such a concurrence of opinion , among philosophers , moralists and statesmen of all nations , as on the necessity of periodical cessation from labor . One day in seven is the rule , founded in experience and sustained by science ... The prohibition of secular business on Sunday is advocated on the ground that by it the general welfare is advanced , labor protected , and the moral and physical well - being of society promoted . -- Hennington v. Georgia , 163 U.S. 299 ( 1896 ) Many states prohibit selling alcohol for on and off - premises sales in one form or another on Sundays at some restricted time , under the idea that people should be in church on Sunday morning , or at least not drinking . Another feature of blue laws in the United States restricts the purchase of particular items on Sundays . Some of these laws restrict the ability to buy cars , groceries , office supplies , and housewares among other things . Though most of these laws have been relaxed or repealed in most states , they are still enforced in some other states . In Texas , for example , blue laws prohibited selling housewares such as pots , pans , and washing machines on Sunday until 1985 . In Colorado , Illinois , Indiana , Iowa , Louisiana , Maine , Minnesota , Missouri , Oklahoma , New Jersey , North Dakota , Pennsylvania , and Wisconsin , car dealerships continue to operate under blue - law prohibitions in which an automobile may not be purchased or traded on a Sunday . Maryland permits Sunday automobile sales only in the counties of Charles , Prince George 's , Montgomery , and Howard ; similarly , Michigan restricts Sunday sales to only those counties with a population of less than 130,000 . Texas and Utah prohibit car dealerships from operating over consecutive weekend days . In some cases these laws were created or retained with the support of those whom they affected , to allow them a day off each week without fear of their competitors still being open . Blue laws may also prohibit retail activity on days other than Sunday . In Massachusetts , Rhode Island , and Maine ( which was previously part of Massachusetts ) , for example , blue laws prohibit most retail stores , including grocery stores , from opening on Thanksgiving and Christmas . Research regarding the effect of the repeal of blue laws has been conducted , with Professor Elesha Coffman of Baylor University writing : Regarding culture , the impact of vanishing blue laws could be larger . A study in New Mexico in 2006 found a sharp increase in drunken driving on Sundays after that state dropped its Sunday ban on packaged alcohol sales . A broader study published by MIT and Notre Dame economists in 2008 found that the repeal of blue laws led to decreased church attendance , decreased donations to churches , and increased alcohol and drug use among religious individuals . These wide - ranging effects can not easily be pinpointed to specific causes , but one of the latter study 's authors , Daniel Hungerman , suggested to Christianity Today that blue laws might have been fulfilling their original intent , to keep people pious . Court cases ( edit ) Beginning in the mid-nineteenth century , religious and ethno - cultural minorities arrested for violating state and local blue laws appealed their convictions to state supreme courts . In Specht v. Commonwealth ( 1848 ) , for example , German Seventh Day Baptists in Pennsylvania employed attorney Thaddeus Stevens to challenge the constitutionality of Pennsylvania 's Sunday law . As in cases in other states , litigants pointed to the provisions of state constitutions protecting religious liberty and maintained that Sunday laws were a blatant violation . Though typically unsuccessful ( most state supreme courts upheld the constitutionality of Sunday laws ) , these constitutional challenges helped set a pattern by which subsequent moral minorities would seek to protect religious freedom and minority rights . The Supreme Court of the United States held in its landmark case , 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 . It approved the state 's blue law restricting commercial activities on Sunday , noting that while such laws originated to encourage attendance at Christian churches , the contemporary Maryland laws were intended to serve `` to provide a uniform day of rest for all citizens '' on a secular basis and to promote the secular values of `` health , safety , recreation , and general well - being '' through a common day of rest . That this day coincides with Christian Sabbath is not a bar to the state 's secular goals ; it neither reduces its effectiveness for secular purposes nor prevents adherents of other religions from observing their own holy days . There were four landmark Sunday - law cases altogether in 1961 . The other three were Gallagher v. Crown Kosher Super Market of Mass. , Inc. , 366 U.S. 617 ( 1961 ) ; Braunfeld v. Brown , 366 U.S. 599 ( 1961 ) ; Two Guys from Harrison vs. McGinley , 366 U.S. 582 ( 1961 ) . Chief Justice Earl Warren declared that `` the State seeks to set one day apart from all others as a day of rest , repose , recreation and tranquility -- a day which all members of the family and community have the opportunity to spend and enjoy together , a day on which there exists relative quiet and disassociation from the everyday intensity of commercial activities , a day on which people may visit friends and relative who are not available during working days . '' In March 2006 , Texas judges upheld the state blue law that requires car dealerships to close either Saturday or Sunday each weekend . See also ( edit ) Desuetude Dry county National Sunday Law Neo-prohibitionism Raines law Religious coercion Religious law Sunday shopping Sundown town References ( edit ) ^ Jump up to : Fuller , Wayne E. ( 1 October 2010 ) . Morality and the Mail in Nineteenth - Century America . University of Illinois Press . p. 93 . ISBN 9780252091353 . ^ Jump up to : Goldberg , Steven ( 2000 ) . Seduced by Science : How American Religion Has Lost Its Way . NYU Press . p. 106 . ISBN 9780814731055 . ^ Jump up to : Smith , Christian ( 2003 ) . The Secular Revolution : Power , Interests , and Conflict in the Secularization of American Public Life . University of California Press . p. 319 . ISBN 9780520230002 . Jump up ^ O'Flaherty , Edward ; Petersen , Rodney L. ; Norton , Timothy A. ( 7 September 2010 ) . Sunday , Sabbath , and the Weekend : Managing Time in a Global Culture . Wm . B. Eerdmans Publishing . p. 167 . ISBN 9780802865830 . Jump up ^ `` Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics ( New York : Scribner , 1928 ) '' . Jump up ^ Oxford English Dictionary . Jump up ^ Snopes.com : American `` blue laws '' were so named because they were originally printed on blue paper ... Retrieved July 12 , 2006 . Jump up ^ Fahlbusch , Erwin ; Bromiley , Geoffrey William ( 2005 ) . The Encyclopedia of Christianity . Wm . B. Eerdmans Publishing . p. 787 . ISBN 9780802824165 . Jump up ^ Roy , Christian ( 2005 ) . Traditional Festivals : A Multicultural Encyclopedia . ABC - CLIO . p. 457 . ISBN 9781576070895 . However , an amendment was made that left is enforcement to the discretion of the provinces , so that it remained a dead letter in mostly French Quebec . A Catholic Sunday League was formed in 1923 to combat this laxity and promote sabbatarian restrictions in that province -- especially against movie theaters . Jump up ^ Rybczyński , Witold ( 1991 ) . Waiting for the Weekend . Viking Penguin . p. 78 . ISBN 9780670830015 . In 1922 , inspired by a pastoral letter decrying the lax observance of Sunday as a day of rest , the Ligue du Dimanche ( Sunday League ) was formed . For fourteen years the League agitated for Sabbatarian legislation , particularly against cinemas ... Jump up ^ Kyle G. Volk ( 2014 ) , Moral Minorities and the Making of American Democracy . New York : Oxford University Press . ISBN 019937192X . Jump up ^ `` North Dakota Catholic Conference says ' Sunday law ' Benefits All People '' . EWTN News . 19 September 2011 . Retrieved 5 July 2017 . Jump up ^ `` CanLII -- 1985 CanLII 69 ( S.C.C. ) '' . Canadian Legal Information Institute ( CanLII.org ) . September 3 , 2009 . Archived from the original on May 9 , 2011 . Retrieved September 24 , 2009 . Jump up ^ `` Allan Levine : Never mind Ford Nation . Hogtown has a long history of drunks , tyrants and loudmouths running City Hall '' . Retrieved February 2 , 2017 . Jump up ^ Louis - Philippe Raynault - Ollu ( February 20 , 2012 ) . `` Sunday Observance Laws in North America '' . Social Science Research Network ( SSRN ) . SSRN 2260582 . Missing or empty url = ( help ) Jump up ^ `` Lov om ændring af lov om detailsalg fra butikker m.v. - Liberalisering af reglerne om åbningstid - retsinformation.dk '' . Retrieved January 27 , 2016 . Jump up ^ `` Trading hours for retailers : the law '' . Retrieved January 27 , 2016 . Jump up ^ Henry McDonald . `` New bid for Sunday football '' . the Guardian . Retrieved January 27 , 2016 . Jump up ^ `` Seasonal and Sunday Trading '' . Retrieved March 10 , 2016 . Jump up ^ Ph. D. , Prof. David J. Hanson , . `` Alcohol Blue Laws ( Laws Prohibiting Sunday Sales of Alcoholic Beverages ) '' . Retrieved 2016 - 09 - 28 . Jump up ^ Montgomery , Bob . `` Gaffney churches seek to stop Sunday alcohol sales '' . Retrieved 2016 - 09 - 28 . Jump up ^ Good Question : Why Ca n't We Buy Alcohol On Sunday ? , WCCO - TV , November 20 , 2006 Archived September 29 , 2007 , at the Wayback Machine . Jump up ^ `` Title 17 , § 3204 : Business , traveling or recreation on Sunday '' . Retrieved January 27 , 2016 . Jump up ^ `` A turkey of a blue law '' , Boston Globe . Retrieved November 25 , 2006 . ^ Jump up to : Coffman , Elesha ( 2009 ) . `` Bye - Bye , Blue Laws ? '' . Christianity Today . Retrieved 6 July 2017 . Jump up ^ Kyle G. Volk , Moral Minorities and the Making of American Democracy ( Oxford , 2014 ) , 59 - 68 , 190 - 201 . Jump up ^ McGOWAN v. MARYLAND , 366 U.S. 420 ( 1961 ) , Supreme Court of the United States , Decided May 29 , 1961 . Retrieved August 10 , 2007 . `` The present purpose and effect of most of our Sunday Closing Laws is to provide a uniform day of rest for all citizens ; and the fact that this day is Sunday , a day of particular significance for the dominant Christian sects , does not bar the State from achieving its secular goals . '' Jump up ^ The LANDMARK Cases , National Sunday Law Crisis . Retrieved May 21 , 2008 . Jump up ^ `` ' Blue Law ' for car sales upheld by Judge '' Archived May 31 , 2008 , at the Wayback Machine. , KVIA , March 22 , 2006 . Retrieved May 28 , 2008 . `` A Texas judge has upheld an old law that requires car dealerships in the Lone Star state to close one day each weekend . They must now choose to open either Saturday or Sunday . '' Bibliography ( edit ) Algeo , Matthew ( 2006 ) . Last Team Standing . Philadelphia : Da Capo Press . ISBN 978 - 0 - 306 - 81472 - 3 Ruck , Rob ; with Patterson , Maggie Jones and Weber , Michael P. ( 2010 ) . Rooney : A Sporting Life . Lincoln , NB : University of Nebraska Press . ISBN 978 - 0 - 8032 - 2283 - 0 Volk , Kyle G. ( 2014 ) . Moral Minorities and the Making of American Democracy . New York : Oxford University Press . ISBN 019937192X . Westcott , Rich ( 2001 ) . A Century of Philadelphia Sports . Philadelphia : Temple University Press . ISBN 978 - 1 - 56639 - 861 - 9 External links ( edit ) Red , White , but Mostly Blue : The Validity of Modern Sunday Closing Laws Under the Establishment Clause - Vanderbilt Law Review ( 2007 ) Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture -- Blue Laws The Massachusetts Blue Laws Blue Law - Pantagraph ( Bloomington , Illinois newspaper ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blue_law&oldid=821008115 '' Categories : Political terminology of the United States Religion and law Sunday shopping Sabbath in Christianity Hidden categories : Pages using web citations with no URL Webarchive template wayback links Use mdy dates from October 2012 Articles with specifically marked weasel - worded phrases from July 2017 All articles with specifically marked weasel - worded phrases Articles with specifically marked weasel - worded phrases from January 2013 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Français Edit links This page was last edited on 17 January 2018 , at 22 : 04 . Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply . By using this site , you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation , Inc. , a non-profit organization . About Wikipedia 
when do liquor stores close on sunday in minnesota
Blue laws , also known as Sunday laws , are laws designed to restrict or ban some or all Sunday activities for religious reasons , particularly to promote the observance of a day of worship or rest . Blue laws may also restrict shopping or ban sale of certain items on specific days , most often on Sundays in the western world . Blue laws are enforced in parts of the United States and Canada as well as some European countries , particularly in Austria , Germany , Switzerland , and Norway , keeping most stores closed on Sundays . In the United States , the U.S. Supreme Court has held blue laws as constitutional numerous times , citing secular basis such as securing a day of rest for mail carriers , as well as protecting workers and families , in turn contributing to societal stability and guaranteeing the free exercise of religion . The origin of the blue laws also partially stems from religion , particularly the prohibition of Sabbath desecration in Christian Churches following the first - day Sabbatarian tradition . Both labour unions and trade associations have historically supported the legislation of blue laws . Blue laws are technically classed as `` mala prohibita '' or `` wrong ( as or because ) prohibited '' ( as opposed to `` mala in se '' or `` wrong or evil in itself '' ) . Most blue laws have been repealed in the United States , although many states still ban the sale of alcoholic beverages or cars on Sundays . The very first known law regarding prohibition of Sunday labor for religious reasons was in 538 at the Third Council of Orléans . The first occurrence of the phrase blue laws so far found is in the New - York Mercury of March 3 , 1755 , where the writer imagines a future newspaper praising the revival of `` our Connecticut 's old Blue Laws '' . In his 1781 book General History of Connecticut , the Reverend Samuel Peters ( 1735 -- 1826 ) used it to describe various laws first enacted by Puritan colonies in the 17th century that prohibited various activities , recreational as well as commercial , on Sunday ( Saturday evening through Sunday night ) . Sometimes the sale of certain types of merchandise was prohibited , and in some cases all retail and business activity . Contrary to popular belief , there is no evidence that blue laws were originally printed on blue paper . Rather , the word blue was used in the 17th century as a disparaging reference to rigid moral codes and those who observed them , particularly in blue - stocking , a reference to Oliver Cromwell 's supporters in the parliament of 1653 . Moreover , although Reverend Peters claimed that the term blue law was originally used by Puritan colonists , his work has since been found to be unreliable . In any event , Peters never asserted that the blue laws were originally printed on blue paper , and this has come to be regarded as an example of false etymology , another version of which is that the laws were first bound in books with blue covers . As Protestant moral reformers organized the Sabbath reform in nineteenth - century America , calls for the enactment and / or enforcement of stricter Sunday laws developed . Numerous Americans were arrested for working , keeping an open shop , drinking alcohol , traveling , and recreating on Sundays . Erwin Fahlbusch and Geoffrey William Bromiley write that throughout their existence , organizations advocating first - day Sabbatarianism , such as the Lord 's Day Alliance in North America and the Lord 's Day Observance Society in the British Isles , were supported by labor unions in lobbying `` to prevent secular and commercial interests from hampering freedom of worship and from exploiting workers . '' For example , the United States Congress was supported by the Lord 's Day Alliance in securing `` a day of rest for city postal clerks whose hours of labor , unlike those of city mail carriers , were largely unregulated . '' In Canada , the Ligue du Dimanche , a Roman Catholic Sunday league , supported the Lord 's Day Act in 1923 and promoted first - day Sabbatarian legislation . Beginning in the 1840s , workingmen , Jews , Seventh Day Baptists , free - thinkers , and other groups began to organize opposition . Throughout the century , Sunday laws served as a major source of church - state controversy and as an issue that drove the emergence of modern American minority - rights politics . On the other hand , the more recent Dies Domini , written by Pope John Paul II in 1998 , advocates Sunday legislation in that it protects civil servants and workers ; the North Dakota Catholic Conference in 2011 likewise maintained that blue laws , in accordance with the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church , `` ensure that , for reasons of economic productivity , citizens are not denied time for rest and divine worship . '' Similarly , Chief Justice Earl Warren , while acknowledging the partial religious origin of blue laws , acknowledged their `` secular purpose they served by providing a benefit to workers at the same time that they enhanced labor productivity . '' Many European countries still place strong restrictions on store opening hours on Sundays , an example being Germany 's Ladenschlussgesetz . The Lord 's Day Act , which since 1906 had prohibited business transactions from taking place on Sundays , was declared unconstitutional in the 1985 case R. v. Big M Drug Mart Ltd . Calgary police officers witnessed several transactions at the Big M Drug Mart , all of which occurred on a Sunday . Big M was charged with a violation of the Lord 's Day Act . A provincial court ruled that the Lord 's Day Act was unconstitutional , but the Crown proceeded to appeal all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada . In a unanimous 6 -- 0 decision , the Lord 's Day Act was ruled an infringement of the freedom of conscience and religion defined in section 2 ( a ) of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms . A Toronto referendum in 1950 allowed only team sports to be played professionally on Sunday . Theatre performances , movie screenings , and horse racing were not permitted until the 1960s . The Supreme Court later concluded , in R. v. Edwards Books and Art Ltd. , ( 1986 ) ( 2 S.C.R. 713 ) that Ontario 's Retail Business Holiday Act , which required some Sunday closings , did not violate the Charter because it did not have a religious purpose . Nonetheless , as of today , virtually all provincial Sunday Closing laws have ceased to exist . Some were struck down by provincial courts , but most were simply abrogated , often due to competitive reasons where out - of - province or foreign merchants were open . In the Cook Islands , blue laws were the first written legislation , enacted by the London Missionary Society in 1827 , with the consent of ariki ( chiefs ) . In Tonga , the Vava'u Code ( 1839 ) was inspired by Methodist missionary teachings , and was a form of blue law . In Niue , certain activities remain forbidden on Sunday , reflecting the country 's history of observing Christian Sabbath tradition . In Denmark the closing laws restricting retail trade on Sundays have been abolished with effect from October 1 , 2012 . From then on retail trade is only restricted on public holidays ( New Years Day , Maundy Thursday , Good Friday , Easter Sunday , Easter Monday , Day of Prayer , Ascension Day , Whit Sunday , Whit Monday , Christmas Day and Boxing Day ) and on Constitution Day , Christmas Eve and New Year 's Eve ( on New Year 's Eve from 3 pm only ) . On these days almost all shops will remain closed . Exempt are bakeries , DIYs , garden centres , gas stations and smaller supermarkets . Prior to 1994 , trading laws forbade sale of certain products on a Sunday ; the distinction between those that could and could not be sold was increasingly seen as arbitrary , and the laws were inadequately enforced and widely flouted . For example , some supermarkets would treat the relatively modest fines arising as a business cost and open nonetheless . The Sunday Trading Act 1994 relaxed restrictions on Sunday trading . This produced vocal opposition from bodies such as the Keep Sunday Special campaign , and the Lord 's Day Observance Society : on religious grounds , on the grounds that it would increase consumerism , and that it would reduce shop assistants ' weekend leisure time . The legislation permits large shops ( those with a relevant floor area in excess of 280 square metres ) to open for up to six hours on Sunday between the hours of 10 am and 6 pm . Small shops , those with an area of below 280 square metres , are free to set their own Sunday trading times . Some large shops , such as off - licences , service stations and garages , are exempt from the restrictions . Some very large shops ( e.g. department stores ) open for longer than 6 hours on a Sunday by allowing customers in to browse 30 minutes prior to allowing them to make a purchase , since the 6 hour restriction only applies to time during which the shop may make sales . Christmas Day and Easter Sunday are non-trading days . This applies even to garden centres , which earlier had been trading over Easter , but not to small shops ( those with an area of below 280 square metres ) . Prior to 2008 , no football was permitted to be played on Sundays by clubs affiliated to the Irish Football Association in Northern Ireland . Shops with a floor area of over 280 square metres may only open from 1 to 6pm on Sundays . In the United States , judges have defended blue laws `` in terms of their secular benefit to workers '' , holding that `` the laws were essential to social well - being '' . Chief Justice Stephen Johnson Field , with regard to Sunday blue laws , stated : Its requirement is a cessation from labor . In its enactment , the legislature has given the sanction of law to a rule of conduct , which the entire civilized world recognizes as essential to the physical and moral well - being of society . Upon no subject is there such a concurrence of opinion , among philosophers , moralists and statesmen of all nations , as on the necessity of periodical cessation from labor . One day in seven is the rule , founded in experience and sustained by science ... The prohibition of secular business on Sunday is advocated on the ground that by it the general welfare is advanced , labor protected , and the moral and physical well - being of society promoted . Many states prohibit selling alcohol for on and off - premises sales in one form or another on Sundays at some restricted time , under the idea that people should be in church on Sunday morning , or at least not drinking . Another feature of blue laws in the United States restricts the purchase of particular items on Sundays . Some of these laws restrict the ability to buy cars , groceries , office supplies , and housewares among other things . Though most of these laws have been relaxed or repealed in most states , they are still enforced in some other states . In Texas , for example , blue laws prohibited selling housewares such as pots , pans , and washing machines on Sunday until 1985 . In Colorado , Illinois , Indiana , Iowa , Louisiana , Maine , Minnesota , Missouri , Oklahoma , New Jersey , North Dakota , Pennsylvania , and Wisconsin , car dealerships continue to operate under blue - law prohibitions in which an automobile may not be purchased or traded on a Sunday . Maryland permits Sunday automobile sales only in the counties of Charles , Prince George 's , Montgomery , and Howard ; similarly , Michigan restricts Sunday sales to only those counties with a population of less than 130,000 . Texas and Utah prohibit car dealerships from operating over consecutive weekend days . In some cases these laws were created or retained with the support of those whom they affected , to allow them a day off each week without fear of their competitors still being open . Blue laws may also prohibit retail activity on days other than Sunday . In Massachusetts , Rhode Island , and Maine ( which was previously part of Massachusetts ) , for example , blue laws prohibit most retail stores , including grocery stores , from opening on Thanksgiving and Christmas . Research regarding the effect of the repeal of blue laws has been conducted , with Professor Elesha Coffman of Baylor University writing : Regarding culture , the impact of vanishing blue laws could be larger . A study in New Mexico in 2006 found a sharp increase in drunken driving on Sundays after that state dropped its Sunday ban on packaged alcohol sales . A broader study published by MIT and Notre Dame economists in 2008 found that the repeal of blue laws led to decreased church attendance , decreased donations to churches , and increased alcohol and drug use among religious individuals . These wide - ranging effects can not easily be pinpointed to specific causes , but one of the latter study 's authors , Daniel Hungerman , suggested to Christianity Today that blue laws might have been fulfilling their original intent , to keep people pious . Beginning in the mid-nineteenth century , religious and ethno - cultural minorities arrested for violating state and local blue laws appealed their convictions to state supreme courts . In Specht v. Commonwealth ( 1848 ) , for example , German Seventh Day Baptists in Pennsylvania employed attorney Thaddeus Stevens to challenge the constitutionality of Pennsylvania 's Sunday law . As in cases in other states , litigants pointed to the provisions of state constitutions protecting religious liberty and maintained that Sunday laws were a blatant violation . Though typically unsuccessful ( most state supreme courts upheld the constitutionality of Sunday laws ) , these constitutional challenges helped set a pattern by which subsequent moral minorities would seek to protect religious freedom and minority rights . The Supreme Court of the United States held in its landmark case , 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 . It approved the state 's blue law restricting commercial activities on Sunday , noting that while such laws originated to encourage attendance at Christian churches , the contemporary Maryland laws were intended to serve `` to provide a uniform day of rest for all citizens '' on a secular basis and to promote the secular values of `` health , safety , recreation , and general well - being '' through a common day of rest . That this day coincides with Christian Sabbath is not a bar to the state 's secular goals ; it neither reduces its effectiveness for secular purposes nor prevents adherents of other religions from observing their own holy days . There were four landmark Sunday - law cases altogether in 1961 . The other three were Gallagher v. Crown Kosher Super Market of Mass. , Inc. , 366 U.S. 617 ( 1961 ) ; Braunfeld v. Brown , 366 U.S. 599 ( 1961 ) ; Two Guys from Harrison vs. McGinley , 366 U.S. 582 ( 1961 ) . Chief Justice Earl Warren declared that `` the State seeks to set one day apart from all others as a day of rest , repose , recreation and tranquility -- a day which all members of the family and community have the opportunity to spend and enjoy together , a day on which there exists relative quiet and disassociation from the everyday intensity of commercial activities , a day on which people may visit friends and relative who are not available during working days . '' In March 2006 , Texas judges upheld the state blue law that requires car dealerships to close either Saturday or Sunday each weekend .