Kicking off the holiday shopping season
The turkey has been devoured, the pie – all but gone, and now it’s time to look towards another holiday – Christmas. With just weeks to go before December 25th, doubtless we all still have much to accomplish. I mean, let’s be honest: have any of us really started our Christmas shopping yet? For the over-achievers who started back at the Labor Day sales, more power to ya. But for those of us who have been busy and put it off, there is still hope. Hope in the form of Black Friday shopping. Black Friday – the day after Thanksgiving that begins the holiday shopping season when countless deals can be snagged. But do you know how far back Black Friday’s origins go?
Black Friday as we know it earned its name nearly 60 years ago in Philadelphia. Philadelphia police officers were daunted by the crowds of people visiting family for Thanksgiving, getting started on their Christmas shopping, and attending the Army vs. Navy college football game. Because of the increased traffic, crowding, and even shoplifting brought on by the hoards of people, the police dubbed that Friday after Thanksgiving “black”.
However, Black Friday as the beginning of the Christmas shopping season began largely thanks to Mr. Macy. In the early 20th century, department stores, like Macy’s, were the places to shop. Before shopping malls, they were the one-stop stores to get most of your shopping done. In an attempt to drive more shoppers to his department store for the holiday season, Mr. Macy began his Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1924. The result has become the Black Friday we are familiar with today.
And that’s a brief look at the history of Black Friday! For a more detailed read, take a look at the sources below.
Have any Black Friday deals that you’ve scored or are looking forward to getting? Comment below!
Source: MoneyCrashers.com , TheBalance.com
