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Images of shoppers frantically searching stores for deals may come to mind when someone mentions “Black Friday.” The phrase is practically synonymous with manic post-Thanksgiving shopping in preparation for the December holidays.
But “Black Friday” has not always been associated with holiday spending. Its first recorded use was to describe the gold market crash on Sept. 24, 1869, according to The History Channel.
So, how did a shopping event take its name?
Why is it called Black Friday?
Black Friday’s name dates back to the 1950s, the History Channel reports. It was used by Philadelphia police to describe the chaos that often took place in the city the day after Thanksgiving.
Many suburbanites would come to Philadelphia to do their holiday shopping, while others traveled to the city for the annual Army-Navy football game, according to Britannica. This would cause large crowds, traffic, accidents, shoplifting and other issues, leading officers to work extra hours.
By 1961, the name Black Friday had stuck in Philadelphia, The History Channel reports. Some city merchants and boosters tried to call it “Big Friday,” hoping to dismiss any negative connotations about the day. But these efforts were unsuccessful.
It was not until the late 1980s that Black Friday was popularized nationally. At that point, retailers wanted to shift the narrative past the day’s chaotic origins, opting for a different story. This is how the “red to black” shopping analogy came about, The History Channel reports. Many still believe this to be the real origin of Black Friday’s name.
Today, Black Friday has expanded. There’s also Cyber Monday, the online shopping event the Monday after Thanksgiving, and Small Business Saturday, which promotes shopping locally the Saturday following the November holiday.
When is Black Friday 2024?
Black Friday falls on Nov. 29.
Small Business Saturday is Nov. 30. Cyber Monday is on Dec. 2.
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