Originally published at crisis magazine
If you asked the average American why “blue laws” once existed, he’d likely stare at you in confusion. “What are ‘blue laws’”? he might ask.
Those of us beyond a certain age remember when certain things could not be sold on a Sunday in America. In the New Jersey of my childhood, there were aisles in the supermarket cordoned off on Sundays. Smaller establishments just didn’t open. Only in the 1970s did the phenomenon of “Sunday-at-the-[Paramus]-mall” arrive. body .ns-ctt{display:block;position:relative;background:#fd9f01;margin:30px auto;padding:20px 20px 20px 15px;color:#fff;text-decoration:none!important;box-shadow:none!important;-webkit-box-shadow:none!important;-moz-box-shadow:none!important;border:none;border-left:5px solid #fd9f01}body .ns-ctt:hover{color:#fff}body .ns-ctt:visited{color:#fff}body .ns-ctt *{pointer-events:none}body .ns-ctt .ns-ctt-tweet{display:block;font-size:18px;line-height:27px;margin-bottom:10px}body .ns-ctt .ns-ctt-cta-container{display:block;overflow:hidden}body .ns-ctt .ns-ctt-cta{float:right}body .ns-ctt.ns-ctt-cta-left .ns-ctt-cta{float:left}body .ns-ctt .ns-ctt-cta-text{font-size:16px;line-height:16px;vertical-align:middle}body .ns-ctt .ns-ctt-cta-icon{margin-left:10px;display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle}body .ns-ctt .ns-ctt-cta-icon svg{vertical-align:middle;height:18px}body .ns-ctt.ns-ctt-simple{background:0 0;padding:10px 0 10px 20px;color:inherit}body .ns-ctt.ns-ctt-simple-alt{background:#f9f9f9;padding:20px;color:#404040}body .ns-ctt:hover::before{content:”;position:absolute;top:0px;bottom:0px;left:-5px;width:5px;background:rgba(0,0,0,0.25);}body .ns-ctt.ns-ctt-simple .ns-ctt-cta,body .ns-ctt.ns-ctt-simple-alt .ns-ctt-cta{color:#fd9f01}body .ns-ctt.ns-ctt-simple-alt:hover .ns-ctt-cta,body .ns-ctt.ns-ctt-simple:hover .ns-ctt-cta{filter:brightness(75%)}Those of us beyond a certain age remember when certain things could not be sold on a Sunday in America.Tweet This
Lest one dismiss my memories of the Paleolithic Era, let me add that when I lived in Switzerland (specifically, Protestant Bern) from 2008-11, “blue laws” were alive and well. Most stores were closed, usually by 6 p.m. on Saturdays. On Sunday mornings, one bakery in a district was open for bread, dairy products, and cold cuts, but it closed by 1 p.m.
