Holiday food safety: A guide to Thanksgiving leftovers
If you are preparing a traditional Thanksgiving dinner this year, you will probably have a lot of leftovers.
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- While many grocery and retail stores will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, others will be open with modified hours.
Turkey, dressing with giblet gravy, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole.
And don’t forget the pumpkin pie.
Thanksgiving is so close by that you can almost smell the food Nana is cooking in the air. But making sure you have the essential ingredients for your holiday feast is something you’ll want to double check on ahead of the festivities, since grocery store hours in Tennessee will vary Thanksgiving Day.
Some of your go-to stores might even be closed, including retailers.
Here’s what grocery and retail stores are open and closed on Thanksgiving.
Why is Thanksgiving on a Thursday?
Thanksgiving is observed on the fourth Thursday of November. In 2025, the holiday falls on Nov. 27.
While Thanksgiving in the modern era has always been on the fourth Thursday in November, this dedicated day has been around for only about 85 years.
About 45 years after the first Thanksgiving, the holiday was celebrated on Nov. 25, but this tradition only lasted a few years. In 1789, President George Washington declared Thursday, Nov. 26 as a “Day of Public Thanksgiving” after he was asked by the first Federal Congress, according to the National Archives.
Which grocery stores are open, closed on Thanksgiving?
- Walmart: Closed
- Kroger: While stores open at 7 a.m., many Kroger stores will remain open until 3 p.m. on Thanksgiving but holidays hours will vary by location.
- Target: Closed
- Costco: Closed
- Sam’s Club: Closed
- Food Lion: All Food Lion stores will close at 3 p.m. local time on Thanksgiving.
- Publix: Closed
- Whole Foods: Whole Foods stores will be open from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thanksgiving.
- Trader Joe’s: Closed
- Aldi: Closed
- Sprouts: Sprouts stores will be open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thanksgiving.
Which retail stores are open, closed on Thanksgiving?
- Best Buy: Closed
- JCPenney: Closed
- Nordstrom: Closed
- Home Depot: Closed
- Lowe’s: Closed
- Ace Hardware: Ace Hardware stores are independently owned and operated; however, most stores will also be closed on Thanksgiving.
- Burlington: Closed
- Belk: Closed
- Sephora: Each Sephora location has different hours based on their region and/or mall-mandated hours, the company told USA TODAY. Customers can use the company’s store locator to find specific store hours.
- Office Depot: Closed
- OfficeMax: Closed
- PetSmart: Closed
- PetCo: Closed
Is Thanksgiving a federal holiday?
Thanksgiving became a federal holiday on Dec. 26, 1941, when President Roosevelt signed a resolution designating the fourth Thursday in November as its official observance, according to the National Archives and Records Administration.
It is one of the 11 federal holidays recognized in the U.S.
Will mail be delivered on Thanksgiving?
- USPS: All post office locations will be closed and only Priority Mail Express will be delivered on Thanksgiving, according to a news release. Customers may still access USPS products and services through self-service kiosks. Regular mail delivery and retail services will resume on Nov. 28.
- UPS: Limited UPS locations will be open on Thanksgiving, according to UPS’ 2025 holiday schedule. While UPS Express Critical will be available, Domestic Ground, Air, International, and Forwarding will not.
- FedEx: U.S., international package and express freight services will not be available on Thanksgiving, according to FedEx’s 2025 holiday schedule. All other services, excluding FedEx Custom Critical, will not be available.
Are banks open on Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving is a federal holiday, therefore banks will be closed. Additionally, Tennessee state-chartered banks may also be closed on Nov. 28, according to the Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions.
Contributing: USA TODAY
Diana Leyva covers trending news and service journalism for the Tennessean. Contact her at Dleyva@gannett.com or follow her on X at @_leyvadiana
