The Dark Origins Of Black Friday
There’s no American that doesn’t know what happens on Black Friday every year, the day after Thanksgiving. It’s the day when stores across America compete to bring shoppers in to spend all their holiday money by offering the lowest possible prices on everything.
But if you were to ask an American where the term comes from? You’re likely to find many who have absolutely no idea. You”ll get no shortage of confused looks, or at the very least some very conflicting explanations from each person.
There are some people that believe the name started out in the 1960s in Philadelphia and was coined due to the amount of people and traffic out on this day to shop. A 1966 magazine advertisement in fact credited the Philadelphia Police for coming up with the term.
Retailers were less than pleased with the negative connotation about their big day. A campaign tried to change the name to Big Friday, but failed. Retailers then began to refer to the day as the tipping point in store balance sheets. The positive understanding of the term is the one that stuck.
The term is also related to the market disruptions, such as the 1869 price of gold drop, as well as Black Thursday, which was the catalyst to the Great Depression and 1929 market crash.
Another belief is that it’s called Black Friday since it’s a day when workers would call in sick the day after Thanksgiving, to have a longer weekend with their families. The most haunting rumor however is that it originated in the south, where it was common to sell slaves on this day.
Whatever the true origin of the name may be, Black Friday is not all about shopping and holiday spirit.
You may also like
Facts About the Galapagos
Most nature lovers who embark on wildlife holidays in Galapagos are familiar with the archipelago's most iconic wildlife species, which include the Giant Tortoise, the Lava Lizard, the Marine Iguana, the Galapagos Sea Lion, and the Blue-Footed Booby. But while the wildlife has been studied and documented extensively, there are also some lesser-known facts about these wonderfully unique species. For anyone planning wildlife holidays in the Galapagos, knowing a few of these before the trip may add
Read More
Top Producers in the Industry
You may not realize it but the music industry is really bit. So much so that it is worth more than twenty billion dollars. That’s right, more than twenty billion dollars. It is easy to see how many musicians are actually some of the richest people in the world. With that said, even though the musician is the star, there are actually a lot of people who work behind the scenes to bring you the music you love. A musician doesn’t do all the work themselves. Instead, they have a team of people wh
Read More
Different Potato Dishes
Whenever you are strapped for cash, cooking seems like the most challenging thing to do. It is especially difficult if you don’t have much time or ingredients. So you will be pleased to know that if you have a few potatoes, you can actually make a number of different dishes. That’s right, now you won’t only need potatoes but they are the star of the dish. You should also know that potatoes are carbohydrates. This means that you will actually get full really quickly. You will also stay full
Read More
Does Denim on Denim Look Good?
Although it might not seem like it men's fashion has come a long way. So much so that there are now fashion lines solely dedicated to men. With that said, you may find yourself having a few fashion issues from time to time. Don’t worry, this is completely normal. Everyone struggles with fashion every now and again. However, you should know that you aren’t alone and that there is in fact a few tips that could help you out. With that said, we are here to give you a few fashion tips on wearing
Read More
Desserts You Can Make in the Microwave
Everyone has their favorite desserts. This is why bakeries do so well. However, you may not always have the time to run down to the bakery when you have a craving. Now you may think that you can simply make something at home and well you can. However, sometimes you don’t want a big portion of dessert so making too much of it will simply seem like wasting. So where does this leave you? Well, you can still get your sweet craving taken care of by making a dessert in the microwave. Yes, that’s r
Read More