Black Friday" is a term often linked to the busy shopping rush after Thanksgiving. However, its origins trace back to something entirely different.
Initially, it wasn't about holiday spending at all. The first recorded use of "Black Friday" referred to a significant financial crash in 1869, not shopping for the December holidays.
Despite various theories suggesting it came from stores making profits during sales or turning from losses to gains, these explanations aren't the actual origin of the term.
The real story behind "Black Friday" unfolds differently. Also, note that Black Friday wasn't always about shopping for holiday presents.
A long time ago, in 1869, "Black Friday" referred to the gold market crash. Now, it's known as a shopping day. But how did that happen?
In the 1950s, an interesting event occurred in Philadelphia. After Thanksgiving, many people from the suburbs flocked to the city for holiday shopping and a big football game.
This caused the city to become extremely busy, resulting in an increase in traffic, accidents, and even shoplifting. As a result, the police had to work a lot harder to manage all these problems, and this is when they started referring to this day as "Black Friday."
People and Historical Belief
Some people in the city tried to change the name to "Big Friday" to make it sound better, but that didn't work.
The name "Black Friday" stuck in Philadelphia. Years went by, and Black Friday became famous not just in Philadelphia but all over the country.
Stores wanted to tell a different story about this day, so they devised a new idea. They said it was about stores making lots of money and turning from losing to making money, like going from "red" to "black."
People started thinking this was the real reason behind the name "Black Friday."
Business Sales for Black Friday
Nowadays, Black Friday isn't just one day. There's Cyber Monday, where people shop online, and Small Business Saturday, which supports local shops.
But why call it "Black Friday" if it's a day when shops make lots of money? Well, it's because a long time ago, this day wasn't so good for businesses and the police.
In the 1950s, many people took the day off after Thanksgiving. This made it hard for businesses because not enough people were working.
Traffic was a significant issue for the police, and they didn't enjoy that particular day. As a result, they dubbed it "Black Friday," even though some individuals attempted to alter its name.
Over time, the term became synonymous with a day when stores and small businesses earned a significant amount of money from shoppers.
When we hear "Black Friday" today, we often associate it with shopping and the opportunity to snag great deals.
However, we may not realize that this day didn't always revolve around shopping. It originated from a time of chaos and problems but eventually became a day that shoppers everywhere looked forward to.