Does anyone know why the sale of alcoholic beverages is restricted on Sundays??

[6_Time_Momma]

I am just curious.

 

[Mermaid02]

Our blue laws in Maine were relaxed many years ago.... actually I'm not sure we have them at all anymore..... As for the reason, some old temperence thing I guess.

 

[Nancy]

Sales for alcohol in NY State are noon until 3:00am on Sundays. The rest of the week it is 8:00am till 3:00am.

It all dates back to those blue laws and who knows why they came into effect. We relaxed the laws on everything else except for alcohol...causes some big complaints on Sundays before a Bills home game...everyone wants to get their beer before heading out and when they find out they can't we all get yelled it!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

They start selling here at noon. It used to be no selling on Sunday but they changed the law.

 

[Jeff in BigD]

They start selling at noon here in Texas, but their alcohol laws suck! Sorry, but this is kind of a sore subject.

 

[JasonLyons]

because Sunday was a day that America had a reverence for God, but that has all changed

 

[olena]

No Sunday sales at all here in the butt-crack of the Bible Belt!

 

[Grog]

It's noon here on Sundays. I heard a long time ago that it's a "church thing". It took a long time, against a lot of church opposition, to get the majority of our Blue Laws overturned back in the 80s. The overly religious don't want others enjoying themselves too early when they "should" be worshipping. Ahhh....Freedom of religion in action I doubt I would ever feel the need to drink that early anyway, but I don't feel others should have say over whether I can or not.

 

[DocRafiki]

Olena... LOL! Be glad you're not in a "dry" county

What are blue laws anyway?

 

[Jennyfyar]

I live in a so called dry county. No liquor stores, they are called package stores, and they can only sell beer and wine. As if they don't count! No sales at all on Sundays. As of about three years ago, liquor by the drink can be sold in local restaurants. Coming from California where there are pretty much no restrictions on alcohol, this was a big change. (Not that I drink a lot anyway!)

 

[Blondie]

I used to hate those doggone blue laws while we were living in Maine...they didn't relax them a bit until the year we moved!

Everything used to be closed on Sundays....the Malls, dept. stores, etc. Sucked BIG time!

Down here in Virginia, everything is open, and as far as alcohol goes, you can buy it 24/7.

Blue laws

Legislation regulating public and private conduct, especially laws relating to Sabbath observance. The term was originally applied to the 17th-century laws of the theocratic New Haven colony; they were called „blue laws” after the blue paper on which they were printed. New Haven and other Puritan colonies of New England had rigid laws prohibiting Sabbath breaking, breaches in family discipline, drunkenness, and excesses in dress. Although such legislation had its origins in European Sabbatarian and sumptuary laws, the term „blue laws” is usually applied only to American legislation. With the dissolution of the Puritan theocracies after the American Revolution, blue laws declined; many of them lay forgotten in state statute books only to be revived much later. The growth of the prohibition movement in the 19th cent. and early 20th cent. brought with it other laws regulating private conduct. Many states forbade the sale of cigarettes, and laws prohibited secular amusements as well as all unnecessary work on Sunday; provision was made for strict local censorship of books, plays, films and other means of instruction and entertainment. Although much of this legislation has been softened if not repealed, there are still many areas and communities in the United States, especially those where religious fundamentalism is strong, that retain blue laws. The Supreme Court has upheld Sunday closing laws ruling that such laws do not interfere with the free exercise of religion and do not constitute the establishment of a state religion.

 

[pumba]

Blue laws were a bunch of foolish laws that only benefited certain groups.....we just were able to open stores on Sundays too.....we would all travel to NH to do shopping on Sundays...they call them the blue laws....only stores that had food could be open on Sundays..

 

[CamColt]

Yeah, MA is closed on Sundays too. But, since everyone would go to NH for packie runs(= MA losing out on money), if the liquor store is within a certain distance from NH it can open on Sunday. So one in my town cant open, but one in the next town over can. Also, they can all open around the holidays(I think its the week between Christmas and New Years). Nothing like having rules for a reason. I guess when moneys involved the meaning behind the rules doesnt matter anymore. Either open them all or dont open any.

 

[browneyes]

Originally posted by olena
No Sunday sales at all here in the butt-crack of the Bible Belt!

We've been called worse.

I think Tennessee (atleast Hamilton County-Chattanooga area, or maybe Redbank) sells booze on Sundays. Not for certain though. I rarely buy alcohol, so it doesn't matter to me if my area sells it or not on Sunday.

I figure most states have that law implemented for religious reasons way back when they could follow religion. I know not all religions go to church on Sundays, but more people go to church on Sunday than any other day.

 

[Grog]

Wow!!! A quardruple post!!! Way to go, browneyes!!!

 

[olena]

Quadruple posts!

If there was a Blue Law against that, Shannon would be in trouble......

 

[Dodie]

Indiana chiming in here:

It has never made sense to me that you can't purchase alcohol on Sunday at the usual retail spots (convenience stores, grocery stores, liquor stores), but you can order drinks all day long in a bar or restaurant.

Don't get me wrong - I'm glad I can have a magarita on Sunday at Applebee's, but I just don't get it.

 

[believe]

Kentucky......on Sundays you can't purchase till 1pm. I don't drink so it doesn't matter.

 

[PandyPaws]

Connecticut ~ No alcohol sales at all on Sundays. No alcohol sales after 8pm the rest of the week.

 

[nativetxn]

We can buy alcohol on Sundays but not until noon. Then you can purchase until midnight.

Blue laws are interesting things, aren't they? Like they will actually prevent people from consuming alcohol on Sunday.

We own some property in Sabine County, Texas. It's a "dry" county. My son lived there when he was a student at Stephen F. Austin University. He had to drive a whole 10 miles to San Augustine County to buy beer for his parties. That never stopped him. He lived in one of our houses there, so his parties were always sleepovers. No one left the house once they took a drink. House rule

Blue laws have always seemed a little silly to me. If someone wants to drink on Sunday (like my late father), they simply shop on Saturday. But that's what makes this country interesting, huh, blue laws and things like that.