Move over, Turkey Day. The night before Thanksgiving (infamously dubbed Drinksgiving, Blackout Wednesday, or simply “the busiest bar night of the year”) is when America truly lets loose, reveling in a unique blend of nostalgia and celebration. For anyone in their twenties or thirties who’s headed home for the holiday, Wednesday night is sacred, a ritual steeped in years of cherished memories. College friends flood back into town, high-school group chats explode with excitement, and suddenly everyone you’ve ever known is at the same sticky-floored bar you swore you’d never return to, drawn by the magnetic pull of shared histories and familiar faces. It’s a hometown reunion disguised as a bar crawl, filled with laughter that echoes off the walls, stories that rekindle old bonds, and the thrill of reliving youthful escapades. As the night unfolds, there’s an unmistakable electricity in the air, a sense of community that reminds us all why we ventured out in the first place: to reconnect, reminisce, and make new memories before diving into the family festivities of Thanksgiving Day.

While the bars overflow, grocery stores hit peak chaos (people sprinting for cranberry sauce and extra wine like it’s the apocalypse), and airports groan under the weight of the year’s heaviest travel day, the atmosphere is electric with a mix of excitement and anxiety. Friends gather in dimly lit corners of crowded pubs, swapping holiday plans and reminiscing about the good old days, all while keeping a watchful eye on the clock as they know they have to be up early for family gatherings. In the end, Thanksgiving Eve isn’t about gratitude; it’s about one glorious, slightly reckless night with the friends who knew you before you had a “real job” (right before you have to sit across from your aunt and explain, yes, you’re still single) and navigate the sometimes awkward, yet endearing family dynamics that come with the holiday season. As laughter fills the air and memories are shared over clinking glasses, there’s a sense of warmth in the chaos, making this night a cherished tradition worth every frantic moment.

No wonder the police forces are ramping up their relentless hunt for reckless drivers who have no business being behind the wheel, especially given the shocking surge in traffic accidents driven by their absurdly negligent behavior. With each year that goes by, the chaos on our roads escalates, fueled by impaired or distracted drivers who seem to disregard the safety of others. In response, law enforcement is not just cranking up their vigilance; they’re deploying harsher measures and leveraging cutting-edge technology to root out those who threaten public safety, determined to reclaim our roads and make them safer for everyone else. Therefore, do not drink and get behind that steering wheel.

So, raise a glass to Blackout Wednesday: the unofficial start of the holiday season, and the reason half the country needs three plates of stuffing just to recover.