Black Friday crowds thin amid surging COVID-19 pandemic as retailers push online sales

In normal times, Black Friday is the busiest shopping day of the year, drawing millions of shoppers eager to get started on their holiday spending. But these are not normal times.

Small Business Saturday more critical this holiday season amid coronavirus pandemic

Sandwiched between Black Friday and Cyber Monday is Small Business Saturday, a national initiative to shop local and break away from large box stores. However, this year shoppers will notice a few changes because of COVID-19.

Santa's mailbag gives a peek into children's pandemic worries

Letters pouring by the tens of thousands into Santa's mailbox offer a glimpse into the worries and hopes of children awaiting a pandemic-hit Christmas.

Expert predicts changes to the future of Black Friday following COVID-19

Marketing experts say the Black Friday shopping tradition could be very different in the future after the impacts of the pandemic.

Salvation Army provides thousands of 'to-go' Thanksgiving meals

This year, volunteers could not help prepare the meal because of safety concerns and CDC guidelines around COVID-19. So, the nonprofit organization altered its 70-year tradition and partnered with a catering company instead.

Don't wait more than 2 hours to put away Thanksgiving leftovers, USDA says

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, your perishable leftovers should be refrigerated within two hours of coming out of the oven or refrigerator.

Denver mayor encouraged virtual Thanksgiving before flying to Mississippi for holiday

Despite his own warnings about traveling over the Thanksgiving holiday, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock reportedly boarded a plane to Houston Wednesday, as the Colorado capital sees a record spike in coronavirus cases.

More families buying smaller turkeys, paring down Thanksgiving dinner

More and more people are opting to buy smaller turkeys this year as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has the CDC and health experts discouraging travel and large family gatherings.

Toddler runs in terror after 'Grinch' surprises her during Christmas photo shoot

The Grinch has become one of the most iconic pop culture characters connected with Christmas. It turns out, while the cartoon version might be enjoyable to children, seeing the Grinch in real life might not be as much fun.

State ‘surge plan’ activated ahead of Thanksgiving holiday

Health officials are worried about people lying to contact tracers about Thanksgiving and holiday plans, noting efforts to cover up gatherings that go against the governor’s orders could compromise contact tracing efforts. 

These are the major retailers closed on Thanksgiving Day 2020

As retailers look ahead to the holidays, in a reversal of recent years, many have already decided to shut their doors on Thanksgiving Day to accommodate their employees working during the coronavirus pandemic or take a new approach to the traditional holiday shopping season.