The biggest mall in America is closing on one of the hottest shopping days of the year

Mall of America, the biggest shopping mall in the US, will close on Thanksgiving Day this year, The Associated Press reports.

The mall, located in Bloomington, Minnesota, has been open for business on the holiday for the past four years, following the trend set by many other retailers of starting Black Friday sales on Thursday.

But this year the shopping center is bucking that trend, and telling mall employees to spend Thanksgiving with their families, according to the AP.

"We think Thanksgiving is a day for families and for people we care about," Jill Renslow, the mall's senior vice president of marketing, told The Associated Press. "We want to give this day back."

Given Mall of America's size, it's possible that it could inspire other shopping malls to close for the holiday, as well, the AP's Anne D'Innocenzio notes.