Remember when the Friday after Thanksgiving meant turkey sandwiches and spending an extra hour in the gym, trying to work off that second piece of pumpkin pie?

Well, these days we know it as Black Friday, one of the biggest shopping days of the year.

It's not the biggest revenue-wise, in spite of what you've heard; that honor is reserved for the last Saturday before Christmas, thanks to all of you procrastinators out there.

But Black Friday is the busiest shopping day, hands down.

Why do people get up at 3 a.m. and stand in line for hours with thousands of their closest friends? The answer varies.

For many, it's the social aspect - Black Friday has become a cultural event that no one wants to miss. Tales of finding that incredible bargain will last long after the actual item is gone.

For others, it's a tradition - the chance to bond with family and friends over the sale racks. Or there's the competitive aspect - how many doorbuster deals you can score, even though most people won't take one home since there are so few to be had.

But whether you do it for bragging rights or the desire to save a few dollars this holiday season, if you're shopping on Friday, you won't be alone: even if only a tiny percentage of the American public hits the stores, that's tens of millions of consumers.

This year, many retailers are starting their sales on Thursday, in part to make up for losing a week of shopping due to Thanksgiving falling so late in the month.

Fred Meyer will be open from 7 a.m. - 4 p.m. ShopKo will be open from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., and then open again at 8 p.m. until Friday at 11 p.m. Target will also open at 8 p.m. on Thursday and close Friday at 11 p.m.

But many shoppers aren't pleased with this trend, and there is concern that the strategy might backfire, alienating the very consumers they're trying to attract.

In fact, some stores are touting their policy of being closed on Thanksgiving so employees can spend the holiday with family, instead of having to work. (Although the stores that are open on Thursday do close for a few hours, so employees can make it home for their holiday meals.)

Seright's Ace Hardware will be closed on Thanksgiving, allowing its staff a day to relax, spend time with their families, and eat an exorbitant amount of food.

"I love that we aren't part of the whole craziness," said Holly Buettner of Seright's Ace Hardware in Coeur d'Alene. "We're trying not to make it combative, instead of a holiday."

Cabela's in Post Falls will also be closed on Thursday.

"Cabela's is very family-oriented," said Pete Marion, retail marketing manager.

The forecast for the 2013 shopping season is good. The National Retail Federation expects sales in the months of November and December to increase 3.9 percent to $602.1 billion over 2012's sales.

Local retailers are optimistic, as well. Buettner said the whole year has been a better season than normal, so they are hoping it stays in that vein.

"It's always hard to tell," Marion said. "But we're expecting to be strong, and hopefully we'll do better than we did last year."

Greg Foley, store team leader at Target in Coeur d'Alene, expressed similar thoughts.

"We have high expectations. We spent a lot of time planning for it, and are really optimistic compared to last year."

So, what can you expect when you hit the stores Friday morning? Most stores have doorbuster deals, although you have to be one of the first shoppers in line to score one, since quantities and hours are limited.

Target is offering deals from 5 a.m. until noon, including an Element 50" 1080p LED HDTV for $229 (save $300) and Beats by Dre Solo HD Headphones for $119.00 (save $80).

They've also rolled out the new Cartwheel app for smartphones. The app provides coupon offers for hundreds of available products. Just bring your phone to Target and when you check out, the barcode will be scanned and you'll automatically save.

"We're embracing technology and have gotten a lot of great feedback from guests who have signed up for it," Foley said. "It's super-easy to use, and guests save money on regular household items."

Fred Meyer will have doorbuster deals on Thursday from 7 a.m. until noon, and Friday from 5 a.m. until noon. They will randomly give a $100 gift card to one of the first 100 people in line, and $5 gift cards to the other 99 (one per household, must be 18 years or older). They will have strong electronic sales including a Toshiba 50-inch LED 1080p HDTV for $499.99 (save $400) and a Samsung Galaxy Tab3 10.1-inch Tablet for $299.99 (save $100).

Cabela's expects 3,000 people to line up for its 5 a.m. opening. The first 600 shoppers in line will get free gifts totalling more than $8,700 including a Browning rifle, GoPro camera, Nikon ProStaff rangefinder, Masterbuilt smoker, a pair of Bushnell binoculars, and Cabela's gift cards. Their doorbuster deals will be available from 5 - 10 a.m. and include their Seclusion 3D recliner with power for $299.99 (save $300), a 4,000 peak watt Outdoorsman Generator with wheel kit for $279 (save $229.99), and Varsity Color Phase camo hoodies (they change color!) $29.99 to $49.99 (save $20). They will close at 10 p.m. on Friday.

Ace Hardware is offering items different from its normal stock, designed to attract people who don't normally shop there, including electronics, action cams for your bicycle, and Bluetooth speakers. It'll be opening at 7 a.m. on Friday, a half-hour earlier than normal.

ShopKo's doorbusters will be available from 8 p.m. Thursday until noon Friday. Deals include a Samsung 50-inch LED HDTV for $599.99 (save $400), a Polaroid 9-inch Tablet Bundle $79.99 (save $120), Garmin Nuvi 50LM Car Navigation $89.99 (save $100), and 75 percent off all fine jewelry.

If you are planning to hit the stores at o'dark thirty, retailers feel your pain and will do their best to make standing in line a more festive occasion.

Fred Meyer will offer shoppers free coffee and doughnuts. Cabela's will have free breakfast burritos and pastries, coffee and hot chocolate. There will be heaters to keep customers warm and a big-screen TV, complete with a DJ and karaoke.

Most stores have sales flyers out, so check the newspaper or online for doorbuster deals, coupons and specials before you shop. The best way to survive Black Friday is to have a plan.

So, are retailers ready for the holiday onslaught?

"Oh yeah," said Bob Hobart of Rathdrum, Fred Meyer's store director. He usually works about a 12-hour shift on Black Friday.

"Our associates put so much work into it, it's exciting to see such positive results," Hobart said.

Happy Thanksgiving, and happy shopping!