While most people were asleep after a Thanksgiving complete with turkey, stuffing and sweet potatoes, Jenna Harrison and Amber McCabe were at the Oak Harbor Wal-Mart.

They arrived at 10:45 Thursday evening so they could be first in line when the retail giant opened Friday morning, which officially kicked off the Christmas shopping season and is traditionally the busiest day of the year for retailers.

Harrison and McCabe were making sure they could get the toys and electronics their family members are hoping to find under the tree.

They weren’t alone for long. By the time Wal-Mart opened at 5 a.m. the line stretched from the main entrance to the end of the building near Barrington Drive. People were prepared for the long wait on a cold Friday morning. Some brought chairs and blankets to relax and stay warm throughout the night.

Friends Brandi Hammond, Nicole Taylor and Shelly Gary were waiting to make sure they could purchase the right toys for their children.

“We want to make sure we get what we want,” Gary said.

Wal-Mart employees also helped the shoppers out during the wait. One employee was on hand with complimentary coffee and cookies for the patient shoppers. In the hour leading up to opening another employee came out with tickets so shoppers at the front of the line could reserve their purchase for rarer, high-end items such as large-screen televisions. That helped avoid a mad dash when the doors opened. Everybody was calm when the doors opened. Just a few people had to be directed to the end of the line to avoid cuts.

As 5 a.m. approached, the folding chairs disappeared and they were replaced with shopping carts. As the store opened people calmly walked into the store to begin what was, for some, a full day of shopping.

For Phylana Riccardi, Wal-Mart was just her first stop. After finishing up at Wal-Mart, she was heading to Burlington, hopefully in time for the opening of stores there.

For those who spent the early morning hours in bed sleeping off the big Thanksgiving dinner, don’t worry. There are still 30 shopping days left until Christmas.