Since colonial times, "blue laws" were part and parcel for a significant portion of our founding communities and towns in America. For the most part, the purpose of these laws was to encourage the people to recognize that the Lord's Day was a special day of thanksgiving, to which, the community spokesman believed that the Sabbath should best be spent in a worshipful attitude and demeanor, and subsequently activities that were counter to this mindset were frown upon or punished. Today, there are still States as well as communities that do have "blue laws" on the books that are applicable to the population as a whole, irrespective of their religious persuasion or lack thereof.
While it use to be, that blue laws monitored or restricted traveling, sports activities, work, blasphemy, public displays of affection, and other assorted behaviors, nowadays, for the most part, blue laws restrict the purchase but not the consumption of alcohol, as well as the mandatory closing of certain stores on the Sabbath day, although some stores are voluntarily closed as a matter of their own policy in regards to the Sabbath.
The purpose of blue laws back when they were created and the purpose of blue laws today, are pretty much the same, which is to set aside one day of the week for worshipful prayer, church attendance, contemplation, quietude, or similar, and for that day not to be a day spent in lasciviousness or drunken activities. That is to say, that six days of the week were set aside for mankind to accomplish and perform the activities that he so desired or were necessitated, but our Lord, asked only that we set aside one day to remember and to honor Him.
Incredibly, even the Christ was castigated for healing on the Sabbath day, but He ultimately responded with these profound words, "... The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath…" This does not mean, that the Christ would have been against blue laws, or that He didn't appreciate the necessity and need to have periods of quiet contemplation and solitude, as Christ himself, understood that He needed to set aside specific time and places to pray. What our Messiah was saying, in regards to the Sabbath, is that we shouldn't let the letter of the law rule over us, but only the Spirit of it, for the Sabbath or the spirit of the Sabbath was created for the benefit of mankind, and not because God mandated our blind obeisance to it.
The fact that blue laws are still in effect in some communities and even States in America, is a reminder to all, that we are not here on our own, that above us, is a loving God who wishes at all times to remind us that we are not just of the material, but that we are indeed Spirit, and made in His image. Mankind too often speaks of his right to freedom, but seldom of his attendant obligations to his fellow man as well as to his Creator. Blue laws should be seen as a touchstone to remind mankind that he is not here alone, and that no matter his place or particular position, God welcomes him at any hour, at any time, and appreciates when he renders sincere honor to Him.