WASHINGTON — With Thanksgiving and the formal launch of the holiday shopping season this week, Americans will again gather for Turkey Day meals before knocking off items on their Christmas gift lists.

Most big U.S. retailers are closed on Thanksgiving. However, many will open early the following day, Black Friday, the unofficial start of the holiday gift-buying season and the biggest shopping day of the year.

Here’s a quick overview of what to expect.

Banks and the stock market: U.S. stock markets and banks are closed Thanksgiving; however, markets reopen on Friday for a shortened trading day, wrapping up at 1 p.m. Eastern.

Package Delivery: Standard FedEx and UPS pickup and delivery services will not be available on Thanksgiving, although some critical services will be off

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