Think of these as the emergency contacts of your holiday. CVS and Walgreens are the reliable friends who always answer the phone, even on Christmas. Most locations will have shorter hours, but they’ll be there for your battery crisis or a last-minute carton of milk.
Gas stations like 7-Eleven and Shell are the unsung carols of the holiday. They’re open, they’re glowing, and they have everything from soda to a sad-looking Christmas cookie. Nobody judges you for buying a frozen pizza at noon.
I once ran into my neighbor at a gas station on Christmas morning. We both laughed, held up our coffee cups, and said, “We made it.” It felt like a secret club.
