As the crisp November air rolled in this year, I found myself debating whether to join the annual shopping extravaganza known as Black Friday. But before diving into a sea of discounts, I stopped to wonder: why in the world is it called Black Friday?
Surely retailers, basking in record-breaking sales, wouldn’t choose such a gloomy moniker. And shoppers, many of whom relish snagging incredible deals, wouldn’t have created that name either. My curiosity got the better of me, so I did what any modern-day sleuth would do: I Googled it.
It turns out, the origin of the term isn’t rooted in joyous shopping sprees but rather in a dark chapter of American history. Back in 1869, a pair of schemers—Jay Gould and James Fisk—manipulated the gold market, triggering a financial crisis that came to be known as "Black Friday." That event wreaked havoc on the economy, leaving devastation in its wake.
Fast forward to the 1950s, and the term resurfaced—but this time, it had a new context. Police in Philadelphia coined the phrase to describe the chaos that followed Thanksgiving. Throngs of shoppers and football fans poured into the city, clogging streets and creating such mayhem that officers dreaded the day. It was a "black" day for them—not for its profitability, but for the sheer bedlam.
The Evolution of a Retail Giant
Over time, retailers embraced the name, flipping its meaning on its head. For them, "black" came to signify profitability, a day when stores finally transitioned from being "in the red" to "in the black." And the rest, as they say, is history.
But in recent years, I’ve noticed a shift. Has the magic of Black Friday dimmed? With sales launching weeks before Thanksgiving and running well into December, does the day still hold the same allure?
Evidently, it does—at least for many Americans. In 2023, an impressive 76 million people braved the crowds to shop in-store on Black Friday. According to Matthew Shay, CEO of the National Retail Federation, 131.7 million shoppers were expected to turn out this year, with 65% planning to shop in-person. That’s a lot of people still enamored with the tradition.
A Personal Choice
As for me, this senior citizen chose to sit it out this year. While I’ll always appreciate the excitement of a good deal, the thought of navigating crowded aisles and standing in endless lines feels less appealing as the years go by.
Instead, I watched from the sidelines, marveling at how Black Friday remains a steadfast part of American culture—a day rooted in chaos yet beloved by millions. Whether it’s the thrill of the hunt or the promise of unbeatable discounts, one thing is clear: Black Friday is here to stay.
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