The big box stores, Sears, Target, and Walmart all advertising earlier black Friday doorbusters - by earlier I mean Thanksgiving night - some as early as 8 p.m.
Shoppers beware, this is not the case here in Maine. By law stores cannot open until midnight. That's because of these Blue Laws enacted by early settlers to ensure proper behavior on Sundays. Over the years - many of the laws, that banned commerce and the sale of alcohol have been thrown out or ignored - but other statutes have been extended - this one specifically bans large retail stores from opening on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Many shoppers we spoke with today were unaware of the law and were taking those national ads for face value - some even planning to hit the stores Thanksgiving night. But after we advised them to stay home - most were pleased to learn that here in Maine, the fourth Thursday of November is set aside for food, family, football, and that's it.
If you absolutely can't bear another hour with your family and have to get out shopping, L.L.Bean in Freeport is the only retail store in Maine that is an exception to the Blue Law. It is open 24 hours a day seven days a week through Thanksgiving and even Christmas.
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