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If you’re wondering whether schools are closed or open for the 2019 Thanksgiving holiday, schools are closed and generally have off through Black Friday.
Other holidays where schools are closed include Christmas and New Year’s Day. Some schools observe holidays such as Columbus Day, Rosh Hashanah and Veterans Day, depending on the school district, but those may be given up when an area has used too many snow, flood or storm days in that year.
Heavy reached out to the US Department of Education for comment.
Thanksgiving School Week 2019
History.com reported that Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the Thanksgiving holiday as “Thanksgiving and praise” in 1863. It has since become a federal holiday. Public Holiday Global has reported that many states observe the day after Thanksgiving as a holiday as well, creating a long holiday weekend.
Because Thanksgiving is a federal holiday, government offices, banks, post offices, schools, and many businesses are closed. When it comes to what states observe Black Friday as part of the Thanksgiving holiday, Public Holiday Global has listed them as:
California
Delaware
Florida
Iowa
Illinois
Kansas
Kentucky
Maine
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
North Carolina
Nebraska
New Hampshire
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Closures on Thanksgiving Day 2019
In addition to school being closed, there are many other places that are not open for Thanksgiving. Trash pickup is postponed to the following day, which is Black Friday; mail is not delivered, as the post offices are closed; and the banks are closed. According to the USPS, because Thanksgiving is a federal holiday, all federal offices are closed. But, all federal workers are still paid for the day.
Things to Do on Thanksgiving 2019
Since most people are off of work or out of school on Thanksgiving, you may be looking for things to do. Some are feasting with friends and family, while others are on their own for the holiday. Whatever the case, there are always things to do to keep busy or to have a good time.
You can always go out to eat. If your favorite local restaurant is closed, Asian restaurants are always a good way to go. You could also catch a movie or two, as movie theaters are open for Thanksgiving. Some of the movies currently released include Frozen 2, Knives Out, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Ford v Ferrari, 21 Bridges, Playing with Fire, Midway, Charlie’s Angels, The Good Liar, Last Christmas, Harriet, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Joker, Doctor Sleep, and Terminator: Dark Fate.
Football and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will be airing during the day so that’s always a possibility for your daytime activities. In addition, shopping is a great option. Stores open early, with Black Friday deals, or you can just stick to online shopping. Some stores opened on Thanksgiving include Bed Bath & Beyond, JC Penney, Dollar Tree, Gamestop, Family Dollar, Best Buy, CVS, Kohl’s, Macy’s, DSW, RiteAid, Walgreens, Old Navy, Target, Kmart, Sears, Big Lots, and Walmart.
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