Black Friday is the day which is referred to the day after the Thanksgiving in the United States. It means this year it falls on November 25th.
It traditionally marks the start of the Christmas shopping season in the United States. Many stores offer highly promoted sales at discounted prices and often open early, sometimes as early as midnight or even on Thanksgiving.
It is considered a public holiday in more than 20 states across the country. It is so important today for shopping today as it has been the busiest shopping day in the United States since 2005.
| Event | Black Friday |
|---|---|
| Date | November 25, 2022 |
| Day | Friday |
| Significance | The day mark the start of the Christmas shopping season in the United States |
| Observed by | United States |
Black Friday History:
The first recorded use of the term "Black Friday" was applied not to post-Thanksgiving holiday shopping but to financial crisis: specifically, the crash of the U.S. gold market on September 24, 1869. Two notoriously ruthless Wall Street financiers, Jay Gould and Jim Fisk, worked together to buy up as much as they could of the nation's gold, hoping to drive the price sky-high and sell it for astonishing profits. On that Friday in September, the conspiracy finally unraveled, sending the stock market into free-fall and bankrupting everyone from Wall Street barons to farmers.
The most commonly repeated story behind the Thanksgiving shopping-related Black Friday tradition links it to retailers. As the story goes, after an entire year of operating at a loss ("in the red") stores would supposedly earn a profit ("went into the black") on the day after Thanksgiving, because holiday shoppers blew so much money on discounted merchandise. Though it's true that retail companies used to record losses in red and profits in black when doing their accounting, this version of Black Friday's origin is the officially sanctioned, but inaccurate story behind the tradition.
The real history behind Black Friday, however, is not as sunny as retailers might have you believe. Back in the 1950s, police in the city of Philadelphia used the term to describe the chaos that ensued on the day after Thanksgiving, when hordes of suburban shoppers and tourists flooded into the city in advance of the big Army-Navy football game held on that Saturday every year. Not only were the cops not able to take the day off, but they had to work extra-long shifts dealing with the additional crowds and traffic. Shoplifters also took advantage of the bedlam in stores and made off with merchandise, adding to the law enforcement headache.
The day after Thanksgiving has been regarded as the beginning of the United States Christmas shopping season since 1952. The practice may be linked with the idea of Santa Claus parades. Parades celebrating Thanksgiving often include an appearance by Santa at the end of the parade, with the idea that "Santa has arrived" or "Santa is just around the corner" because Christmas is always the next major Christian holiday following Thanksgiving. By 1961, "Black Friday" had caught on in Philadelphia, to the extent that the city's merchants and boosters tried unsuccessfully to change it to "Big Friday" in order to remove the negative connotations.
Sometime in the late 1980s, however, retailers found a way to reinvent Black Friday and turn it into something that reflected positively, rather than negatively, on them and their customers. The Black Friday story stuck, and pretty soon the term’s darker roots in Philadelphia were largely forgotten. Since then, the one-day sales bonanza has morphed into a four-day event, and spawned other "retail holidays" such as Small Business Saturday/Sunday and Cyber Monday. Stores started opening earlier and earlier on that Friday, and now the most dedicated shoppers can head out right after their Thanksgiving meal.
Black Friday Significance:
Black Friday is a shopping day for a combination of reasons. As the first day after the last major holiday before Christmas, it marks the unofficial beginning of the Christmas shopping season. Additionally, many employers give their employees the day off as part of the Thanksgiving holiday week-end. In order to take advantage of this, virtually all retailers in the country, big and small, offer various sales including limited amounts of "doorbuster" items to entice traffic. Overall this day serves as an overall treat to any shopping lover or general people as well with crazy discounts and offers for the day. So it is great time to spend with your family and friends shopping like a beast just after the momentful Thanksgiving!
Black Friday is not an official holiday in the United States, but California and some other states observe "The Day After Thanksgiving" as a holiday for state government employees. It is sometimes observed in lieu of another federal holiday, such as Columbus Day. Many non-retail employees and schools have both Thanksgiving and the following Friday off. Along with the following regular week-end, this makes Black Friday weekend a four-day weekend, which is said to increase the number of potential shoppers. The SouthPark neighborhood of Charlotte, North Carolina, is the most trafficked area of the United States on Black Friday.
For many Americans, Black Friday isn't so much about the shopping as the tradition of getting up before the sun rises and doing a fun activity together with friends or family members just after the feast of Thanksgiving meal. Then later it is totally about the shopping while having a great time with your closed ones. Spending some quality time with your loved ones and the people who actually matters in your life is always a very good thing to have. Doing this we are also able strengthen our bond with our friends or family on this festive occasion celebrating and enjoying with each other to have some very sweet memories for later.
Participation in the Black Friday madness is a rite of passage for all Americans. Doorbusters, camping out in front of the store in the wee hours of the morning, long lines, shouting matches and many other things, they're are all a part of the American Black Friday experience which no one wants to miss. So yeah this day is not just about shopping but a completely different experience which can't get anywhere else on any occasion. So you should definitely not miss this chance to have some unique and happy experience on your shopping for Black Friday.
Black Friday may be the holiday we love to hate, but the deals are undeniably awesome. Even those of us who hate to shop, will be willing to step outside of our comfort zone on Black Friday, especially when we get things like smartphone for 50% off! I mean where else we can get such exciting offers and discounts over products. So it is an opportunity which no one should miss just for savings as it is very important and everyone likes it even those who are not crazy shoppers as we all need basic things to live so for that saving much is very beneficial and this is what this day offers.
Black Friday Celebrations:
Thanksgiving Day is a public holiday all over the US. Even where the day after is not a public holiday, many take a day off work or use a day from their quota of annual leave on Black Friday. Some people use this to make trips to see family members or friends who live in other areas or to go on vacation. Others use it to start shopping for the Christmas season.
If you are willing to brave the large crowds in your favorite stores, then join them in the pandemonium that Black Friday shopping. It is best to try and plan ahead, check out the deals your favorite stores are offering, and coordinate with your friends about where and when to go. As it us often seen that most people doesn't plan earlier for shopping and it leads them to be found in chaotic situations so to avoid that plan earlier.
You can also set alarm clocks, bring snacks, and dress for the occasion depending on where you are. Or if you are not into the large crowds, then maybe watch from afar and wait for the commotion to be at ease. So yeah if you don't like shopping then you don't have to rush it as you can order online as well with many exciting offers.
As this day is a part of the Thanksgiving celebrations and Thanksgiving is all about offering thanks or reflecting on the goodness inside you with your family and friends. So use this opportunity to donate some of the things to poor and the needy one it might be food, shelter, clothes, devices, etc. So yeah whatever it might be do something good on this day.
You can create your own traditions for the day as well to make it more memorable and enjoyable for you. Just gather some of your close friends or family members like you can bring some playing cards, dominoes or chess, crank up the music and lay out a spread of Thanksgiving leftovers for a fun, new Black Friday tradition!
Most Searched FAQs on Black Friday:
1. When is Black Friday celebrated?
Black Friday is annually celebrated on day after the Thanksgiving in US.
2. What is Black Friday?
Black Friday is the shopping day after Thanksgiving when retailers offer some of the best deals and lowest prices of the year.
3. Why is it called as Black Friday?
The terms "Black Friday" and "Black Saturday" came to be used by the police in Philadelphia and Rochester to describe the crowds and traffic congestion accompanying the start of the Christmas shopping season.