When Do Holiday Shopping Hours Begin?

With Halloween behind us, retailers and shoppers are now staring down some of the biggest shopping days of the year - both in stores and online.

The National Retail Federation expects sales during November and December to rise 4.1 percent this year, according to a USA Today report.

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, has become the accepted if unofficial start time of the Christmas rush. It's a huge day for retailers but only the first of a roughly month-long extravaganza.

And thanks to Abe Lincoln, who decreed Thanksgiving a national holiday, Franklin D. Roosevelt, who signed into law that it should fall on the fourth Thursday in November, and Pope Gregory XIII, who blessed the calendar we use by papal bull, 2012 has the longest possible shopping season.

To explain: With Nov. 1 falling on Thursday, the fourth Thursday and Thanksgiving, Nov. 22, couldn't fall any sooner. And that means there is more time – the most time any year can provide – for shoppers to shop and businesses to reap bounty.

Here are the hours of some local stores, as posted on TheBlackFriday.com website:

Thanksgiving Day

Old Navy is open Thanksgiving Day from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. It reopens at midnight after Thanksgiving. Clothes for the whole family will be on sale.

Toys R Us will open at 9 p.m with their best deals in the earlier hours after opening.

Sears will open at 8 p.m. local time on Thanksgiving Day and stay open overnight until 10 p.m. on Black Friday.

K-Mart will be open Thanksgiving Day from 6 a.m. until 4 p.m. and from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. Stores will reopen for Black Friday at 5 a.m. until 11 p.m.

Walmart will begin its sales at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving, with its biggest sales reserved for between 10 p.m.-11 p.m.

Midnight start on Black Friday

HH Gregg will open at midnight.

Best Buy opens at midnight after Thanksgiving with sales on electronics.

Kohl's opens at midnight after Thanksgiving offering items for the home, holidays, shoes and clothes.

Target will also be open at midnight with sale items all across the store.

Game Stop Opens at midnight with video games and electronic specials.

Macy's will be open at midnight.

4 a.m. on Black Friday

JC Penney opens at 4 a.m. with special deals.

5 a.m. on Black Friday

Lowes will be open at 5 a.m. Friday with sales on appliances and home needs.

Sam's Club will open at 5 a.m.

Home Depot will open at 5 a.m. with specials in a variety of departments.

Dicks Sporting Goods opens at 5 a.m. with special savings until 2 p.m.

Sports Authority opens at 5 a.m. with specials until 3 p.m.

Michaels opens at 5 a.m. with sales on crafts, holiday decor and home items.

Radio Shack opens at 5:30 a.m. on Friday with sales on electronics and home items.

6 a.m. or later on Black Friday

Jo-ann Fabrics will open at 6 a.m. on friday with deals on craft items.

Stein Mart will open their doors at 7 a.m.

Staples opens at 6 a.m. with specials until noon.

Petsmart will open at 7 a.m. for all of your pet gifts.

Office Max willopen at 6 a.m. on Friday.