Every year, on the last Thursday of November, Americans celebrate the traditional Thanksgiving Day. It is a day for businesses to close, families to reunite, and it marks the beginning of the bustling shopping festival known as “Black Friday.” This year’s Thanksgiving has similarities to previous ones, but there are also notable differences.
Thanksgiving is a time for Americans to show gratitude for the blessings of the past year and come together with their families. Carlos, a Los Angeles resident flying to Florida to reunite with his family, shared with Epoch Times, “My grandmother has already prepared the ingredients to make the best turkey in the world for me. I can’t wait. Of course, the most important thing is to give thanks to God for allowing us to safely pass through this year.”
The traditional Thanksgiving dinner typically includes turkey, stuffing, potatoes, cranberries, and pumpkin pie. Despite wholesale prices remaining high, turkey prices at supermarkets across America are lower than expected this year, offering shoppers a chance to take advantage of discounts.
This Thanksgiving, more businesses are opting to remain closed. Some stores will open early or extend their hours on Black Friday, but the exact opening times may vary by location.
Major retailers like Macy’s, Best Buy, Costco, Sam’s Club, Walmart, Target, Apple Store, Home Depot, CVS, and J.C. Penney have different schedules for Thanksgiving and Black Friday, where most stores will resume operations early on the shopping holiday.
While most supermarkets will open to cater to those needing last-minute Thanksgiving dinner ingredients, many will close early. Chain stores like McDonald’s and Starbucks will be open, but specific operating hours may vary by location.
Government offices, post offices, major banks, and schools will be closed on Thanksgiving Day. The frenzy of lining up for Black Friday deals at midnight has become a thing of the past, with many stores starting their sales early, eliminating the need for people to queue up or leave their Thanksgiving dinner table prematurely to shop.
A Los Angeles resident who works as a shopping agent, Ms. Zhang, shared that this year’s Black Friday discounts seem less impressive overall. While some stores offered up to 75% off in previous years, this year’s discounts are capped at 50%. Nevertheless, she noted that some discounts are still worth it, prompting her to start shopping early to avoid items running out of stock.
In Southern California, consumer Andrew Smith took his children to Best Buy to shop for electronics ahead of Black Friday. “We bought computers, headphones for the kids, and I even got some gaming controllers. The staff said these are the Black Friday prices now,” he said. “It’s a shame we don’t have the same atmosphere and excitement of lining up on Black Friday anymore. To be honest, we kind of miss that feeling.”
According to Google Trends, on November 21st, “Is today Black Friday?” became a trending search term.