History of Black Friday

History of Black Friday

Every year, we always have some days that we will rush out to go shopping. According to the ranking provided by Sensormatic, here are the top 10 biggest shopping days in the US.

Friday, November 26 – Black Friday

Saturday, December 18 – Super Saturday

Thursday, December 23 – Thursday before Christmas

Saturday, December 11 – 2nd Saturday in December

Sunday, December 26 – Day after Christmas, aka “Boxing Day”

Wednesday, December 22 – Wednesday before Christmas

Saturday, November 27 – Saturday after Thanksgiving

Saturday, December 4 – first Saturday in December

Tuesday, December 21 – Tuesday before Christmas

Sunday, December 19 – Sunday before Christmas

Black Friday, the 1st one mentioned, is also the busiest shopping day that everyone is looking forward to! So, what do you know about Black Friday? Today, we are going to explore the origin of this biggest shopping day!

There are a lot of myths about the origin of Black Friday. In recent years, a myth has surfaced and given a particularly ugly twist to the tradition, claiming that back in the 1800s, Southern plantation owners could buy enslaved workers at a discount on the day after Thanksgiving. Though this version about Black Friday’s roots has somewhat understandably led some to call for a boycott of the retail holiday, it has absolutely no basis in fact.

The real story of Black Friday is not as bright as you may believe. Yes, you may think that it would have been related to sales or something like that, since it’s why we love Black Friday nowadays.

Dating back to the 1950s, Philadelphia police used the term to describe the chaos that ensued on the day after Thanksgiving, when hordes of suburban shoppers and tourists flooded into the city in advance of the big Army-Navy football game held on that Saturday every year. Not only would Philly cops not be able to take a day off when this time came, but they would have to work extra-long shifts dealing with the additional crowds and traffic. Shoplifters would also take advantage of the bedlam in stores to make off with merchandise, adding to the law enforcement headache.

In 1961, Black Friday was so popular in Philadelphia that the city's merchants and promoters tried to change it to Big Friday in hopes of removing the negative connotations, but without success. In the late 1980s, it was surprising that retailers found a way to reinvent Black Friday and make it something that more positively reflects on them and their customers than it did in the past. This gave rise to the previously mentioned "red to black" concept of the holiday and the notion that the day after Thanksgiving marks the occasion when American stores finally turned a profit.

It's certainly been a great day for retailers, but Black Friday has always represented the dark side of American consumerism. Over the years, crowds frantically jostling for discounts have resulted in violence and injuries, including 12 deaths. And while shoppers may not face congested streets and overcrowded stores this year as much of the world is practicing social distancing, the financial difficulties businesses and individuals have to go through due to the Covid-19 pandemic will certainly create a gloomy atmosphere for this year's Black Friday.

So, if you get some deals on this biggest shopping days of the year, try to limit your shopping at malls or stores for your own health and that of the community. Shopping online now is certainly the best idea and you can drop by Nazmeen Decor for super new deals!!!

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