A week from today, many will gather with family and friends for Thanksgiving Day, but the focus may not be solely on the meal or fellowship.

The frantic start to the Christmas shopping season begins on the Friday after the holiday, but as the years have progressed, that start has kicked off earlier each year.

This year, various retailers will be open for business as normal on Thanksgiving Day because the perception is that this is what customers desire.

We encourage residents who do hit the streets to go shopping to do so locally and support our communities’ small businesses.

However, retailers need to remember that consumers are going to shop regardless, and customers are being driven to this.

It is difficult to go back because American consumers will start to consider this the standard moving forward.

Now would be time to put the brakes on this trend so that we don’t lose sight of the meaning of the holiday and remember to, in fact, “give thanks.”

Thanksgiving Day should focus on that, and Black Friday shopping needs to be reserved for the day after.