The history of the shopping appointment

by Junna Base November 13, 2024

When someone mentions “Black Friday,” images of shoppers frantically scanning stores for deals may come to mind. The phrase is practically synonymous with manic post-Thanksgiving shopping in preparation for the December holidays.

But Black Friday hasn’t always been associated with holiday spending. The History Channel reports that its first documented use was to describe the gold market crash on September 24, 1869.

How did a shopping event get its name?

Why is it called Black Friday?

The name Black Friday dates back to the 1950s, reports the History Channel. It was used by the Philadelphia Police Department to describe the chaos that often reigned in the city on the day after Thanksgiving.

According to Britannica, many suburbanites came to Philadelphia to do their Christmas shopping, while others traveled to the city for the annual Army-Navy football game. This would lead to large crowds, traffic, accidents, shoplifting and other problems and require officers to work overtime.

By 1961, the name Black Friday had stuck in Philadelphia, reports The History Channel. Some city merchants and patrons tried to call it “Great Friday,” hoping to eliminate any negative connotations about the day. But these efforts were unsuccessful.

It wasn’t until the late 1980s that Black Friday became popular across the country. At this point, retailers wanted to shift the narrative beyond the day’s chaotic origins and opt for a different story. This is how the “red to black” shopping analogy came about, reports The History Channel. Many still believe that this is the true origin of the name Black Friday.

Today is Black Friday expanded. There’s also Cyber Monday, the online shopping event on the Monday after Thanksgiving, and Small Business Saturday, which encourages in-person shopping on the Saturday after Thanksgiving November Vacation.

When is Black Friday 2024?

Black Friday falls on November 29th.

Small Business Saturday is November 30th. Cyber Monday is on December 2nd.

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