Merry Christmas!

In all the hubbub of traveling, shopping, wrapping, and cooking, I have neglected to look up any interesting facts for Fun Fact Friday. However, I didn’t want this Friday to go by without at least a little something. Mainly, I wanted to wish you all a very merry Christmas.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and a happy new year. May you all be overflowing with love and joy this holiday season, and have a refreshing celebration with friends and family. May your 2018 find you healthier, happier, and more blessed than your 2017.

From the Mahoney Team to you: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Black Friday – Fun Fact Friday

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

Thanksgiving – Fun Fact Friday

Thanksgiving – An American Tradition

Turkey, pumpkin pie, football – for many Americans that just about sums up Thanksgiving. It is the one day each November we set aside to gather with loved ones, reflect on all the blessings in our lives, and eat one slice too many of our favorite pie. But the original Thanksgiving was much different. We all know that it began with the Pilgrims after they sailed on the Mayflower from England to the New World, yet how did it become what it is today?

Since many of those that sailed on the Mayflower, the Pilgrims, had strong religious beliefs, a day to give thanks was typically a solemn event. Such a day would be set aside for fasting, prayer, and reflection on the goodness of God. Pilgrims, Puritans, and Native Americans alike each had their own versions of Thanksgiving before it ever became a national holiday.

As far as how we celebrate Thanksgiving today, below is a progressive timeline of the holiday:

  • 1621 – What we consider the first Thanksgiving was held as three days of feasting between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoags.
  • 1777 – The first national Thanksgiving was declared by the Continental Congress.
  • 1827 – While each Thanksgiving day was traditionally declared by a President, Sarah Josepha Hale (editor of Godey’s Lady’s Book) lobbied to have it made a national holiday.
  • 1863 – Hale’s efforts proved successful when President Lincoln initiated two days of thanks – one in August and another in November.
  • 1939 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt finally established Thanksgiving as an annual, nationally-recognized holiday. He scheduled the date for the second-to-last Thursday in November.
  • 1941 – Congress pushed the Thanksgiving date to the fourth Thursday in November.

Keeping Up with Tradition

Thanksgiving has come a long way over the centuries. Some years it was celebrated, and some years it was not. Although much of Thanksgiving has changed from the date to the customs, the heart of the holiday has remained the same: reflection and gratitude. This year, don’t stress so much over whether or not you’ll get that Black Friday deal, or if you burned the sweet potato casserole. Be sure to let the people in your life know how much they mean to you and reflect on all the ways God has blessed you. We have so much to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving!

Check out this link for an additional 15 Thanksgiving fun facts! Number 9 explains a lot about holiday traffic…*ick*

Sources: Plimouth.org , HuffingtonPost.com