Black Friday Origin: Why Is It Called 'Black Friday'?
Today, when we hear the term "Black Friday," we know what's about to follow is likely a pretty sweet sale. Always the day after Thanksgiving—and always a Friday—the day has become synonymous with doorbuster deals and sales that kick off the holiday shopping season. After all, with the holidays around the corner, massive sales are a surefire way to get shoppers to spend their money.
In fact, most Black Friday buyers are doing so (spending their $, that is) easily with the help of their phones. According to Salesforce, digital and mobile sales grew 17 percent—to $4.1 billion—back in 2019. Why wake up at 5 a.m. when you can simply get a deal by swiping on your phone? Amazon was the biggest winner brand-wise, with Walmart close behind it as the second-highest retailer in terms of online visits. The "most talked about brands" in recent years included Apple, Nintendo and PlayStation, Retail Dive reports and discounts averaged between 37 and 47 percent.
But is there more to the history of Black Friday? Does it go beyond consumerism and Smart TVs and Apple AirPods for 20 percent off? Despite one of the biggest shopping days of the year being associated with big box stores like Walmart, Best Buy, Kohl's, and others, myths about Black Friday's actual origins have been circulating for years. Find out when Black Friday falls this year, what exactly is the history behind it, why it's named Black Friday, and more!
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When is Black Friday?
Black Friday takes place every year on the day after Thanksgiving. This year, it will take place on Nov. 24, 2023. Since Thanksgiving is traditionally celebrated on the fourth Thursday in the month of November, the day after Thanksgiving—Black Friday—always falls on a Friday.
"As retailers began to realize they could draw big crowds by discounting prices, Black Friday became the day to shop, even better than those last-minute Christmas sales," Kristin McGrath, editor and shopping expert at BlackFriday.com tells Parade. "Some retailers put their items up for sale on the morning of Thanksgiving, or email online specials to consumers days or weeks before the actual event."
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When does Black Friday start?
Technically, Black Friday starts on the Friday morning after Thanksgiving, but over the years, sales have been starting earlier and earlier. Some stores (or their websites) have been promoting Black Friday sales as early as midnight, during Thanksgiving Day or even the week or two before(!).
Related: Lululemon Black Friday Sales
Black Friday origin
The history of Black Friday is surrounded by myths. Was the origin of Black Friday truly about shopping or does it seek to hide more sinister intentions? Despite rumors that Black Friday was originally associated with slavery, The History Channel refutes that claim.
Another myth surrounding Black Friday is that retailers would operate an entire year at a loss—also known as "in the red." Then, the day after Thanksgiving, retailers would experience a much-needed boost a la holiday shoppers looking to score big on discounted gifts, propelling them "back into the black."
Related: Kohl's Black Friday Sales
The History Channel adds, "Though it's true that retail companies use 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."
So, then, what is the accurate story behind the tradition of Black Friday?
It does have to do with retailers and shoppers and perhaps surprisingly, Pennsylvania. That's right—Black Friday originally started in the 1950s in Philadelphia, PA when suburban shoppers would flock to the city ahead of the Army-Navy football game every Saturday. The city would be swarmed with out-of-towners and the local cops would work long shifts to compensate. In fact, The History Channel adds that police would specifically not be allowed to take this day off.
"The term 'Black Friday' originated in Philadelphia," McGrath explains. "In the 1960s, police in Philadelphia griped about the congested streets, clogged with motorists and pedestrians, calling it 'Black Friday.' In a non-retail sense, it also describes a financial crisis of 1869: a stock market catastrophe set off by gold spectators who tried and failed to corner the go."
By 1961, the day of chaos was called "Black Friday," though retailers and business owners fought to officially change it to "Big Friday." It wasn't until the mid-to-late '80s that the day became known as Black Friday throughout the U.S.
Once the "holiday" was widely known as Black Friday, retailers successfully devised a plan to change the day's connotation. By implementing the "in the red" and "back into the black," narrative, retailers changed the way Black Friday was perceived and it has become the big shopping day full of deals we've come to know today.
Since then, the popularity of Black Friday has spurned "spinoff shopping days," if you will: Small Biz Saturday and Cyber Monday.
Why is it called Black Friday?
Black Friday began in Philadelphia in the early 1950s. Ahead of the big Saturday Army-Navy football game, suburbanites would head into the city for the game and crowd the city. With all of the city's police officers on duty to handle the large crowds, it became known as Black Friday.
