*We take ice cream sundaes for granted. They're cold, sweet, full of ice cream, fudge-y, rich sauces, and crunchy candy toppings. The world just wouldn't be as good of a place without the sundae; and ice cream just wouldn't be as special.
While we're thankful for its existence and we delight in its indulgence, the ice cream sundae wasn't always around. As hard as it is to imagine, there was a time when people had to live their lives without them. Luckily this is not the case anymore, and we have soda to thank for it. Well, not just soda, but the Blue Laws (which restrict activity on Sunday) and soda jerks as well (at least according to a majority of the stories).
In some parts of the country in the early 1880s, it was prohibited to sell ice cream sodas on Sunday. People felt that these drinks were "impious" and should not be enjoyed on this holy day. Since ice cream soda shops didn't want to miss out on a whole day of business, they invented a treat that could be enjoyed on this day of the week. A sundae is, or at least was, essentially just an ice cream soda (ice cream, chocolate sauce and soda) without the soda. And hence, the invention of the sundae (named after the day of the week when it was sold).
Sundaes are always a real treat, and they can be put together in no time. When you don't have time to make an elaborate dessert, you can always layer together a sundae and everyone will be impressed. With a well stocked freezer and some toppings on hand, a sundae can be assembled in 10 minutes or less.
*http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/12/the-origin-of-the-sundae_n_1415873.html?1334234972&ncid=webmail13
