What is Black Friday?
The day after Thanksgiving is often chaotic. Whether you anticipate it or dread it, Black Friday has made a memorable name for itself as one of the busiest shopping days of the year. On this day millions of Americans flood stores and websites in search of the best deals, sometimes lining up before dawn or even camping outside overnight.
When asked which store she would camp outside of, a senior at Helix Charter Highschool, Penelope Nelson responded,
“I would probably camp outside of a Pacsun overnight.”
But have you ever wondered where this popular shopping tradition came from, or why it’s called Black Friday?
The term “Black Friday” actually has two interesting origins. The first dates back to the 1950s and 1960s in Philadelphia, where police officers used the phrase to describe the turmoil and traffic congestion that occurred the day after Thanksgiving. Crowds of suburban shoppers and tourists would pour into the city ahead of the annual Army–Navy football game held that weekend, creating massive jams, accidents, and shoplifting opportunities. For the police, it was one of the most stressful days of the year, and thus the nickname “Black Friday” was born.
The second origin comes from retailers themselves. In an attempt to put a more positive spin on the phrase, some store owners tried to rebrand the day as “Big Friday,” but the effort never caught on. Eventually, the meaning of “Black Friday” shifted to represent a different story. It now represents the point in the year when stores went from operating “in the red” (at a loss) to “in the black” (making a profit). By the 1980s this new and more optimistic interpretation of Black Friday had spread across the country, transforming it from a local Philadelphia term into a nationwide shopping phenomenon.
According to Nathan Burrow from the New York Times article “Black Friday Is More Than Two Weeks Away, We’ve Already Found Over 50 Great Deals,” “Potential tariff impacts, plus the ever-expanding window in which you can buy, make it all the more important to take an informed approach to Black Friday sales this year….With some retailers even abandoning price match and price protection policies during the Black Friday period, timing your purchase to a great sale is key to getting the most for your money.”
Today, Black Friday continues to evolve, with online sales, week-long promotions, and even “Cyber Monday” following close behind. Despite its hectic nature, it remains a major cultural and economic event marking the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season and showcasing the enduring power of consumer enthusiasm in America.
