Despite the effort to be prepared and holiday shopping early on, the question of what's open and what's closed at Christmas inevitably always comes up. Out of necessity last minute gifts for home-cooked meals gone bad, it's important to know where to turn in times of a kitchen disaster or spoiled gift.
This year, the holidays fall in the middle of the week and many businesses seem to stay open on Christmas Eve (Tuesday, December 24) and close on Christmas Day (Wednesday, December 25) – although check with your local shops before you go .
Here's what opened and closed this Christmas holiday.
shopping
both The aim AND Walmart are open on Christmas Eve (until 20:00 and 18:00, respectively) and closed on Christmas Day.
Macy's and Kohl's are open on Christmas Eve until 7:00 pm and are closed on Christmas Day. Meanwhile, Nordstrom will have “limited hours” on Christmas Eve and will be closed on the 25th.
Home improvement stores Home depot and Lowe's are open Christmas Eve (until 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., respectively) and closed Christmas Day.
Grocery stores
Like retail stores, many grocery stores are open (some with modified hours, some with regular hours) on Christmas Eve and closed on Christmas Day, including stores owned by Albertsons, stores owned by Kroger , Aldi, Whole Foods and Trader Joe's.
All Publix stores close at 7 p.m. on Christmas Eve and will be closed on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, the company said.
Wegmans shops will close at 6pm on Christmas Eve and close on Christmas Day.
However, for those in a pinch, select Albertsons, Safeway, ACME and Vons stores will be open on Christmas Day with adjusted hours, so check with your local location.
Mail and Shipping
Local USPS locations are open on December 24th and regular mail will be delivered, says the agency. On Christmas Day, post offices are closed and regular mail will not be delivered. However, Priority Express Mail will still ship on the 25th.
Stores and UPS and FedEx deliveries will be closed on Christmas Day.
Banks and stock markets
Most banks will be closed on Christmas Day and close early on Christmas Eve, although ATMs should be operational. The midweek holiday also affects stock markets – both the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ are closed on Christmas Day.
Pharmacies
Pharmacies are a little different – especially Walgreenswhich will be open Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with normal business hours. The company's 24-hour pharmacies will remain open, even on Christmas Day, but non-24-hour locations (pharmacies only) will be closed on Christmas Day.
CVS will also be open Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but the company says some stores will have reduced hours, so check with your local store.
Rite Aid meanwhile will be open on the 24th and closes on the 25th.
Chain restaurants
Many McDonald's and IHOP will be open, while Chick-fil-A and Chipotle is closed. Check your local locations before you go.