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Blue laws on Thanksgiving
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In Massachusetts, the so-called “BlueLaws” (Mass General Laws Chapter 136 and some of Chapter 149) forbid grocery stores to open on Thanksgiving day. Only convenience stores, gas stations and pharmacies can open on Thanksgiving day and Christmas day. The Blue Laws, so named because they were published on blue paper, were written in the 1600s by mostly Puritan legislators to preserve the morality of the state residents. By closing all of the stores and businesses and restricting alcohol sales, the legislature hoped to force Massachusetts residents to stay in church or at home with their families on Sundays and national holidays. Later, the laws were revamped and expanded to protect workers from being forced to work on Sundays and holidays.
Back home in New York, the major grocery stores usually stay open a half-day on Thanksgiving. The bodegas stay open longer to catch the run-off from the grocery stores. As a worker, if you are an immigrant, militant or Native American and you don’t celebrate, you can make time and a half, and take the rest of the day to watch non-stop NFL.
But Massachusetts isn’t all about losing money. Part of the Blue Laws were repealed in 2003, when the legislature decided to allow liquor stores to open on Sundays. The official reason for the change was the loss of liquor sale business to border states on Sundays. However, the actual reason may be that in 2002, Massachusetts learned it would be hosting the Democratic Convention in 2004.
All of the Blue Laws should be repealed. Having such old laws on the books can only cause trouble. In 2004, former Governor Romney tried to use a 1913 anti-miscegenation Law to stop gay marriage. Mississippi didn’t ratify the thirteenth amendment and abolish slavery until 1995! In Massachusetts, the modern-day economy is harsh. People should be encouraged to make and spend money every Thursday, including Thanksgiving.
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