What Stores Are Open on Easter Sunday in Maine?

Easter Sunday is one of the three holidays in Maine when it's actually a crime for certain retailers to be open on, but why?

Maine is one of several states, mostly in New England, that still has blue laws that force retailers to close on Sundays and holidays. Ever tried to buy a car on a Sunday in Maine? Thanks to a blue law, you can't. They're laws that were put in place long ago to prevent activities on Sundays and holidays, typically for religious reasons. Up until the late '80s, you couldn't shop at any store 5,000 square feet in size or larger on a Sunday.

One remnant of that law remains in place today in Maine for three holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. Maine State Title 17, §3204(2)(HH), regarding religious assemblies, Holy days, and Sunday reads:

In no event, however, may any store having more than 5,000 square feet of interior customer selling space be open on Easter Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day

That law forces retailers like these to be closed on Easter:

• Hannaford
• Shaw's
• Market Basket
• Walmart
• Target
• The Maine Mall
• Auburn Mall
• Home Depot
• Lowe's
• Kohl's

So we're mostly talking grocery stores and big box stores that are closed Easter Sunday. Here are some places that will be open.

• Walgreens
• Flagship Cinemas
• Dunkin'
• Many Chain Restaurants (Applebee's etc)
• Some Local Restaurants
• Most Convenience Stores
• L.L. Bean

L.L. Bean is more than 5000 square feet in size, but they are the only exception in Maine to the blue law.

This list by no means applies to all locations for a business, and there are plenty we haven't listed here, so it's always best to call ahead to find out if a particular retailer is open or not.