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Blue Law

By Colleen Graham, About.com

Definition: In the United States and Canada, blue laws refer to those that enforce a certain moral standard. Most blue laws were originally meant to protect the Sabbath as a sacred day and because of this many local and state governments passed laws restricting the sale of alcohol on Sunday. Some districts took the blue laws further and restricted any retail sales on Sundays. It is widely believed that the name "Blue Law" derived from the fact that these laws were printed on blue paper.

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