Blue Laws – Texas A blue law, also referred to as a “Sunday Law,” is the term used for a law that is designed to restrict activities on Sundays for religious purposes. Traditionally, people have avoided working on Sundays because it is a “day of rest.” Blue laws were specifically enacted to prohibit the sale of certain items, most notably alcohol, in order to encourage (or force) people to go to church and observe the Sabbath. Many times the laws did not force stores to completely close on Sundays but instead banned the sale of certain items that made the operation of the store impractical. For example, up until 1985, Texas blue laws prohibited the sale of items such as