The Sunday Blue Laws and the observance of those laws were a rather bizarre
time in the Commonwealth's history.
Or, I should say, the gradual demise of those laws are what was bizarre.
Originally, no stores were ever open for business on any Sunday.....and that
was that; no big deal.
It simply was against the law to buy and sell or engage in commerce on the
Sabbath.
Gradually, as people wanted more options concerning what they could buy on a
Sunday, the Blue Laws were enacted which meant, basically, that stores, i.e.
grocery stores, could open during the day, on Sundays, but could only sell
items which were deemed necessities.....milk, medicine, food, gasoline, etc.
Definetly NOT beer or cigarettes or clothing....things that could wait until
Monday morning.
So. Believe it or not, out came these large, blue (of course), tarp-like
cloths that were strewn over any item or group of items that were deemed to
be non-necessary.
Seriously. One could enter a grocery store and see the large, blue (sort of
a sky blue; maybe a pretty cornflower blue) tarps draped over counter tops
of, say,  laundry detergent or mops and brooms and household cleaning items;
whatever else grocery stores sold that were not essential to sustain life
until Monday morning.
Thus, the Blue Laws were being observed.
I do remember, one time, trying to buy something that was prohibited by the
Blue Laws and my father telling me to put it back because if the store owner
got caught selling it to me then the store owner and my father could "get
into trouble."
I believe that the Blue Laws were repealed in the 1960's when it became
legal for shop owners to remain open and to sell anything their customers
wanted to buy.
This was done before 1968 which was when Liquor By The Drink was made legal
inVirginia....but that's another story.
Deane F. Mills
York County Virginia


----- Original Message -----
From: T Greg Evans <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, February 17, 2002 9:51 AM
Subject: Sunday Closing


> Virginia used to have Sunday Closing laws. I am interested in the
> history of these laws. When they were passed, and how they came diluted
> over.
>     I believe it was ruled in violation of the Virginia constitution in
> the 1970' because it had gotten so incredibly convoluted, but I am not
> sure of the exact date. Does anyone know anymore details about this,
>
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