MINNESOTA – Mall of America, the nation's largest shopping mall will be closed for Thanksgiving shopping, taking a stand against the growing trend of shopping on the holiday.

The mall, in Bloomington, Minnesota, has been open on Thanksgiving since 2012, however mall officials say that they will be closing to offer workers time with their families.

The mall will re-open at 5 a.m. on Friday after the holiday. However, the mall's tenants may choose to be open on Thanksgiving. Security along with other personnel will be on duty.

The mall will close its movie theater and its Nikelodeon Universe amusement park on the holiday as well.

The Friday after Thanksgiving has been the kickoff day for holiday shopping for many years, however in recent years, Thanksgiving Day has become the new tradition for the shopping day.

Many stores like Macy's, Target and J.C. Penny have opened earlier on Thanksgiving, increasing the competition to get first dibs on the latest deals. However, workers have voiced complaints and even signed petitions arguing that stores are putting their profits before workers' time with family.

Office supplies company, Staples Inc., announced that it would close on Thanksgiving for a second consecutive year, but will offer deals on its website. High-end stores like Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus have remained closed on that day.

It will continue to host its Walk to End Hunger on Thanksgiving morning, a community event that the mall has hosted for eight years that helps provide meals for families in need.