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Comment by dljsjr | Hacker News Reader

In the US a lot of places used to have so-called "Blue Laws" that restricted what you were allowed to do on a Sunday. Some places still have reduced versions that apply specifically to vices; e.g. where I live in FL, alcohol sales are restricted on Sundays to certain times.

It used to be heavily regulated in Canada (or at least Manitoba) until very recently as well, like some time in the last 20 years or so. I remember when Wal-Mart first entered Canada, they had a really hard time in some places because labor laws and blue laws prevented them from being open 24/7.

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>In the US a lot of places used to have so-called "Blue Laws"

Used to? Hell, in Texas, you cannot buy alcohol until after noon on Sundays. Still. Today, er, yesterday, but you get the point.

Fun fact this is also true about Chicago except it's 11am.

Not just that, but you can only buy beer and wine on Sundays, and only at places like grocery stores.

Liquor stores (which also sell beer/wine) are not allowed to be open on Sunday, period.

Note this pertains to off-premise (i.e., stores, not bars) only. Bars, you're free to get sloshed to your hearts desire on any type of alcohol and as early as 10AM on Sundays.

This used to be the case in New York too, but those laws were repealed in 2008. It seems there's been a trend since around then for municipalities to slowly repeal alcohol blue laws as a few other places followed suit over the next few years.

Unless you're in a state determined to make a real-life Gilead where the laws are getting more restrictive than less. I present to you as an example the same Texas from earlier.

Formerly very catholic Quebec still has one of those crazy laws.

During certain hours (such as, past 8PM on weekends), groceries are only allowed 4 employees. Which is almost impossible in those very large groceries. For many groceries, they just assume this is part of doing business, they would rather pay the fine than angering customers with long lines.

https://www.economie.gouv.qc.ca/bibliotheques/conformite/ouv...

I know a lot of places in MB still open later and close earlier on Sunday but I don't visit as much as I used to or keep my pulse on the civics anymore so I don't know if that's convention or blue laws.

These laws were repealed just a few months ago, actually.

> In the US a lot of places used to have so-called "Blue Laws" that restricted what you were allowed to do on a Sunday. Some places still have reduced versions that apply specifically to vices; e.g. where I live in FL, alcohol sales are restricted on Sundays to certain times.

Blue laws around vices (specifically around the sale of alcohol) are still commonplace in the US.

However, Bergen County, NJ, still has the rare Sunday blue law that applies to everyday consumer goods -- you can purchase food and medicine on Sunday (and even alcohol after noon, per a state-wide vice blue law), but everything else is prohibited. If you visit a big-box store like a Costco or Walmart that sells both food and goods, large swaths of the store will be closed down on Sunday.

https://www.wnyc.org/story/assessing-bergen-countys-blue-law...

In New York, until 2006, liquor stores were closed on Sundays. Was quite common across the US

It's by county in New York. Where I lived liquor stores were open but not until 11 or 12 I can't remember exactly it's been a while since I lived there. Similarly, you couldn't buy beer between 2am and 8am. I am probably misremembering the times a bit because it was a long time ago but that's roughly what it was where I lived in NY.

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