Massachusetts might be one of three states that don’t let stores open on Thanksgiving but it hasn’t stopped some shoppers from camping outside this year in anticipation of Black Friday deals. So-called ‘‘blue laws’’ prohibit big box stores and other retailers from opening their doors until Friday. Blue laws were once widespread throughout the country and are thought to date back to Colonial times, although some of the current regulations in Maine were instituted in the 1960s. The name may be derived from an 18th-century usage of blue meaning "rigidly moral," according to the Encyclopedia Brittanica. Black Friday is expected to remain the busiest day with about 115 million people expected to shop.

Source: Fox News November 23, 2017 20:15 UTC