Why is it Called Black Friday? When is Black Friday?

When is Black Friday?

The next Black Friday will be November 29, 2024, the day after Thanksgiving. 

How Is Black Friday’s Date Determined?

Thanksgiving in the United States occurs on the fourth Thursday of November. Black Friday is always the day after Thanksgiving and has become one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

Is Black Friday Always on the Same Date?

Black Friday is always the day after Thanksgiving and, therefore, falls on a different date each year.

What Is Black Friday?

Black Friday is a shopping holiday in the United States that occurs on the day after Thanksgiving. It is characterized by widespread discounts and sales offered by a wide range of retailers, many of whom operate for extended hours and offer limited-time deals to attract customers.

Why Is It Called “Black Friday”

The term “Black Friday” in reference to the day after Thanksgiving can be traced to the city of Philadelphia in the 1950s. The city’s police officers called the day Black Friday because of the chaos created by the descent of enormous crowds of shoppers in the downtown area. The Black Friday nickname derived from the idea that it was a dark day for those charged with maintaining order on a day of overcrowding, traffic jams, accidents, and other issues.

Other “Origins” of Black Friday

While the Philadelphia origin story is documented and widely accepted, alternative inspirations have been forwarded over the years.

The first known use of “Black Friday” was in reference to the crash of the U.S. gold market on September 24, 1869. The crash was precipitated by the unraveling of a scheme by some unscrupulous Wall Street financiers to drive up prices by hoarding the nation’s gold reserves. But that incident has no connection to the current shopping holiday beyond the name.

Perhaps the most widespread misconception is that the day of Thanksgiving was referred to as Black Friday because it marked the point in the year when most retailers finally became profitable. Businesses that are profitable are often referred to as being “in the black,” while “in the red” indicates a loss. While it may have been true that some retailers would go from “in the red” to “in the black” on the day after Thanksgiving due to increased sales during the holiday shopping season, this perfectly reasonable explanation didn’t start circulating until the 1980s, years after the “Black Friday” holiday was well established.

One particularly unsavory theory, circulated mostly on social media, suggested that Black Friday had its origin in the early American practice of selling enslaved people at a discount on the day after Thanksgiving. This narrative has been repeatedly proven false and has no historical basis.

When Was the First Black Friday?

The Philadelphia origin story is documented and easily traceable. From its first usage by the city police, by the early 1960s, the term caught on in Philly, with merchants and newspapers referring to Black Friday sales and events. There was a failed movement in 1961 to change the term to the less ominous-sounding “Big Friday,” but by then, it was too late. Black Friday was off and running, and the name stuck. In the years that followed, Black Friday remained largely a Philadelphia phenomenon. The term would pop up in other regions here and there, but it wasn’t until the late 1980s that the concept gained traction as a nationwide sales and marketing phenomenon.
 

It should be noted, however, that the shopping event we now call Black Friday has roots that stretch back well before the adoption of the name in the 1950s. President Ulysses S. Grant declared Christmas an officially recognized United States holiday in 1870 and, in so doing, essentially created the holiday shopping season. As early as the late 19th century, department stores started offering sales and promotions on that day.

What are your feelings on Black Friday? Do you shop the sales or stay away? Were you surprised by its origins?