Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site warwick.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!gatech!seismo!mcvax!ukc!warwick!kay From: kay@warwick.UUCP (Kay Dekker) Newsgroups: net.nlang Subject: Re: "Shopping days"; really "Blue Laws" Message-ID: <2389@flame.warwick.UUCP> Date: Fri, 6-Dec-85 07:27:18 EST Article-I.D.: flame.2389 Posted: Fri Dec 6 07:27:18 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 11-Dec-85 04:00:58 EST References: <291@brl-tgr.ARPA> Reply-To: kay@flame.UUCP (Kay Dekker) Distribution: net Organization: VLSI Group, Warwick University, UK Lines: 29 Xpath: warwick flame flame ubu In article <291@brl-tgr.ARPA> wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin ) writes: >'Tis the season of the year when you constantly see and hear the phrase >" shopping days 'til Christmas". I used to think nothing of it, but >now I find this usage quite annoying. Why? Because this area recently >voted down long-standing "Blue Laws" that prevented merchants from >having stores open on Sunday, and now there is no such thing as a >"shopping day" as distinct from just plain "day". What is a "Blue Law"? I can't find any references to these things on a cursory investigation; could some kind soul enlighten me? Are they named for a legislator? the colour of the paper? blue as in "blue joke"? > Are there Sunday-closing laws in European countries? Yes, certainly in England there are; the law restricts what kinds of goods may be bought on Sundays (some perishable foodstuffs etc). There are moves afoot to deregulate Sunday trading before Parliament now, so the situation may change soon. The Conservatives (the party currently in government) favour deregulation: those who oppose it are 1) some Christians who oppose what they see as the secularisation of their Sabbath and 2) some trade unionists who see it as exploitative. Kay. -- "Be careful: the system is complex and chaotic, though it has many attractive features..." _The Pot-holes of the Yorkshire Moors_ ... mcvax!ukc!warwick!flame!kay