Why is the day after Thanksgiving called 'Black Friday'?

Updated : November 23, 2018 11:25 AM IST

Major retailers like Amazon, Argos, Best Buy use Black Friday to give huge price reductions to shoppers just before Christmas kicks in.

The US retailers generally operate for longer hours with special and attractive deals.

Black Friday is the annual shopping carnival day, which the US celebrates after Thanksgiving Day and marks the beginning of the holiday season.

The long-standing cultural practice of shopping ahead of major festivals is a common custom followed by people across the world. Be it for Diwali in India or for Christmas in the foreign countries.

Major retailers like Amazon, Argos, Best Buy use Black Friday to give huge price reductions to shoppers just before Christmas kicks in. The US retailers generally operate for longer hours with special and attractive deals.

Usually, Americans get Thanksgiving and the next day as two official public holidays. In total, Americans get four days to shop, since it is clubbed with the weekend. This gives the Americans a good four-day shopping period for the best deals.

Also read: Black Friday Deals: Here's how you can buy Xiaomi's Redmi Note 6 Pro for just Rs 12,999

The term was given as shops generally "move into the black". 'Moving into the black' is when the shops have enough funds to cover their costs while reducing prices.

However, some reports claim that the term 'Black Friday' came into being after shoppers caused accidents and sometimes even violence.

The term was first used in 1951 by the journal Factory Management and Maintenance. The journal used the term again the next year and before we knew it, 'Black Friday' was stuck.

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Why is the day after Thanksgiving called 'Black Friday'?

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