Let’s rip the bandage off: most things are closed on Christmas Day. Banks, stock markets, and government offices have been in hibernation since lunchtime on the 24th. You won’t be filing your taxes or renewing your passport today, pal. Don’t even try. Even the US Postal Service takes a break, which means that card from Aunt Susan will arrive on December 26th, smelling vaguely of regret and peppermint.
But here’s where it gets weird. Retail is a brutal battlefield of open vs. closed. Most big-box stores like Target, Costco, and Walmart are locked tighter than a drum. They’ve actually turned this into a PR move—“Pro-family, give our employees a day off.” It’s great for them. It’s torture for you, standing in the parking lot with a dead phone and a desperate need for wrapping paper.
