why do we have black friday
Short answer: Black Friday is a big shopping day that marks the start of the holiday shopping season. Retailers offer deep discounts to boost sales after Thanksgiving.
A bit more detail:
- Why the name:
- One popular explanation is that stores’ accounting moves from “losses” (in red) to “profits” (in black) when they rack up holiday sales.
- Another is that police and people in Philadelphia in the 1950s–60s used “Black Friday” to describe the heavy street traffic and crowds the day after Thanksgiving.
- How it started: It became a recognized shopping event in the U.S. in the 20th century and spread from there. Stores began opening early to attract shoppers with doorbuster deals.
- How it’s used now: Many retailers offer big discounts in stores and online, sometimes starting on Thanksgiving evening or Friday and continuing through the weekend. The concept has spread to other countries, though dates and practices vary. Cyber Monday (the online counterpart) followed later.
If you want, I can also share tips for shopping safely and saving money on Black Friday.