Mall of America Will Close Thanksgiving Day

The Mall of America, the largest shopping mall in the nation, will be closed on Thanksgiving Day this year.

The Bloomington, Minnesota, mall will reopen at 5 a.m. on Black Friday, according to the Associated Press.

The Mall of America has been open on Thanksgiving Day since 2012, but mall officials told The Associated Press it wants to offer workers time with their families on the holiday.

The decision to close the nation's largest mall on Thanksgiving could influence other malls and retailers to do the same.

The Mall of America said some stores and restaurants may choose to be open on Thanksgiving, so security personnel will be on duty during the holiday.

For decades, Black Friday was understood as the official kickoff to the holiday shopping season, but major retailers have opted to hold sales on Thanksgiving Day in recent years.

Image via Cliff, Flickr, used under Creative Commons