Walmart Holiday Hours
Walmart's holiday schedule has become remarkably consistent in recent years, closing for just two days annually — but that wasn't always the case. Here's the complete 2026 schedule, plus the story behind why Walmart stores go dark on Thanksgiving.
Why Is Walmart Closed on Thanksgiving?
Walmart stayed open on Thanksgiving Day for decades — it hadn't closed for the holiday since the late 1980s. That changed in 2020, when Walmart shut its doors on Thanksgiving for the first time in 30 years, initially as a COVID-era precaution. The closure has since become permanent: Walmart's leadership has confirmed that opening on Thanksgiving is “a thing of the past,” citing the shift toward online shopping and changing employee expectations around holiday work. Christmas, by contrast, has been a company-wide closure for decades — Walmart has never opened its stores on December 25.
Why Does Walmart Close Early on Christmas Eve?
Walmart intentionally shortens its hours on Christmas Eve so employees can get home in time to spend the evening with family, rather than working a full closing shift on the night before Christmas.
Hours reflect Walmart's typical nationwide pattern; individual stores — especially smaller Neighborhood Market locations — may vary. Walmart.com remains available for online orders even when physical stores are closed.