Black Friday is a popular day that occurs the Friday after Thanksgiving every year. It is the day when stores put items on sale and at lower prices for customers to come shop. Most people go to shop early for Christmas or to just look around. Stores are always very busy and the traffic flow is also always heavy. 

Many people believe that Black Friday derives from the concept that businesses operate at a financial loss, or some say that they are “in the red” until the day after Thanksgiving when excessive sales finally allow them to earn profit or “put them in black.” However, this is untrue. The holiday name actually dates back to Philadelphia in the 1960s when police officers used the phrase to describe the chaos that happened when large numbers of tourists came there to begin their holiday shopping and attend games that were going on at the time. The big, obnoxious crowds created a headache for police who had to work longer hours to deal with accidents and shoplifting.

Stores used the term “black Friday” to encourage a positive boost in retail sales that didn’t grow nationwide until the late 1980s. It used to be described as the biggest shopping day in the United States. Now, most stores see their largest sales on the Saturday before Christmas, as many people forget items or just do some last minute shopping. 

In more recent years, Black Friday has been followed by other sale holidays like Small Business Saturday to help support local retailers, and Cyber Monday which encourages shopping online. 

Ten to fifteen years ago, people would get into fights over items on Black Friday. Most people would wake up really early, go to the stores they wish to shop at, and go home. Now, most people do their shopping online because that is what the world has come to. I prefer to go in person because I love to shop, and it’s not the same for me online. 

Black Friday is a fun day but it is also stressful for some people. It is much like a big kickoff to the holiday season!