Why Is It Called Black Friday? About the Origin of the Name

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 24: Signs advertising Black Friday sales are seen in the Oxford Street shopping district on November 24, 2023 in London, England. Traditionally Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving in the United States where Christmas shopping is launched in the store with widespread discounted goods and sales. In recent years this practice has been adopted by the UK retail trade. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images) — Image Credit: Getty Images

Black Friday is here!

Known as one of the biggest shopping days of the year, the day marks the official start of the holiday shopping season with massive discounts and special promotions. Whether you’re gearing up for online deals or preparing for in-store madness, it’s a day eagerly anticipated by shoppers across the globe.

But what’s the story behind the name “Black Friday”? Here’s everything you need to know about the day, its origins, and more.

Is Black Friday a Holiday?

Black Friday is not an official federal holiday in the United States, but some states, including California, observe “The Day After Thanksgiving” as a holiday for state government employees. In certain cases, it may be observed in place of another federal holiday, such as Columbus Day.

Why Is It Called Black Friday?

The term “Black Friday” wasn’t always associated with discounts and shopping sprees. In fact, the name originally had a negative connotation. It dates back to the 1960s in Philadelphia, where police officers used it to describe the chaotic scene that unfolded the day after Thanksgiving. Large crowds of shoppers, combined with heavy traffic, created a hectic atmosphere, and the police had to work extra shifts to manage the disorder.

KING OF PRUSSIA, PA - NOVEMBER 28: Customers pay for their items while doing their Black Friday shopping at KB Toys, which opened at 5am, in the King of Prussia Mall November 28, 2003 in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. Black Friday is traditionally when stores get out of the red and start making a profit for the year. Economists expect a 5 percent increase in holiday sales over last year. (Photo by William Thomas Cain/Getty Images) — KING OF PRUSSIA, PA – NOVEMBER 28: Customers pay for their items while doing their Black Friday shopping at KB Toys, which opened at 5am, in the King of Prussia Mall November 28, 2003 in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. Black Friday is traditionally when stores get out of the red and start making a profit for the year. Economists expect a 5 percent increase in holiday sales over last year. (Photo by William Thomas Cain/Getty Images)

However, by the 1980s, retailers rebranded the term, turning it into a positive association. They used “black” to refer to stores moving from the “red” (indicating losses) to the “black” (indicating profits) as they made huge sales on this day. This transformation in meaning helped turn Black Friday into the shopping phenomenon we know today.

What Other Shopping Days Are There?

Over the years, Black Friday has evolved from a single day of deals into a full-blown shopping event that spans entire weeks. Nowadays, Black Friday often begins online as early as the start of November, with retailers offering promotions well in advance.

Following Black Friday’s rise in popularity, Cyber Monday was coined by marketing experts in 2005 to promote online shopping on the Monday following Thanksgiving. The term was created by Ellen Davis and Scott Silverman of the National Retail Federation (NRF), who noticed a significant surge in online shopping on the first Monday after Thanksgiving.

WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 27: Consumers shop online during a shop and lunch event in the boardroom of the National Retail Federation November 27, 2006 in Washington, DC. The National Retail Federation, a retail trade group, provided laptop computers, personal shoppers and lunch to encourage shoppers who stopped by to participate in Cyber Monday, the online retail world's equivalent of Black Friday. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images) — WASHINGTON – NOVEMBER 27: Consumers shop online during a shop and lunch event in the boardroom of the National Retail Federation November 27, 2006 in Washington, DC. The National Retail Federation, a retail trade group, provided laptop computers, personal shoppers and lunch to encourage shoppers who stopped by to participate in Cyber Monday, the online retail world’s equivalent of Black Friday. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)

Since then, Cyber Monday has grown into a global shopping event, with many retailers offering exclusive online deals that run not just on Monday, but often for the entire week, leading up to the holiday season. Cyber Monday is now one of the biggest e-commerce days of the year, with billions of dollars in sales happening online each year.

In addition to Cyber Monday, there’s Small Business Saturday—a day dedicated to supporting local businesses, which always falls on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. In 2024, Small Business Saturday will be on November 30. It was created by American Express to encourage shoppers to spend their holiday dollars at small, local businesses.