Culture

Why Is It Called Black Friday?

by Jon Azpiri | November 26, 2009 at 02:13 pm

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You've likely heard the phrase "Black Friday" non-stop during the last few days. Television and newspaper ads are filled with ads for Black Friday sales and it seems that just about every other Google search is for 2009 Black Friday sales or 2009 Black Friday ads. During all this shopping mayhem, more than a few people have asked themselves, Why is it called Black Friday?

The term Black Friday refers to the day after American Thanksgiving, a day that's widely considered to be the busiest shopping day of the year. So how did it get to be called Black Friday? Well, you can thank Philadelphia cops.

The origin of Black Friday dates to the 1960s. Philadelphia Police called the day after Thanksgiving "Black Friday" because of the huge traffic jams caused by shoppers. The police slang spread to the mainstream after it was used in a 1975 New York Times article.

Philadelphia police and bus drivers call it "Black Friday" that day each year between Thanksgiving Day and the Army-Navy game. It is the busiest shopping and traffic day of the year in the Bicentennial City as the Christmas list is checked off and the Eastern college football season nears conclusion.

Today, Black Friday has become an institution. It's even given birth to another date: Cyber Monday.

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Jack Leitman (not verified)

at 07:19 on November 27th, 2009

I think Black Friday is the name Retailers gave to the day as a hope that the sales on the day after Thanksgiving would insure that their finincial situation would not be in the RED going into the Xmas sales period. A good reason for boosting the year end financials. Thats what I have heard from many! PS For shoppers that would make many have a Red Friday ! Jack