The Cup Match was created to celebrate and commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in Bermuda and has taken place since at least 1902.
Not only was the sale of goods on public holidays made illegal, but offering items for sale and even allowing customers into a store constituted an offense.
Hotel restaurants, pharmacies and stores that had been granted special licenses by the government were exempted from this.
In March 2005, the Bermuda government passed a major amendment to the Act that allowed stores to finally open.
It required that employers give their staff at least seven days (written) notice of a need for their service; it also required that employers inform those employees of their right to refuse, and prohibited any sort of disciplinary action or dismissal for employees who did refuse.