Black Friday, history and curiosities of a special day

Like every year, shortly after Halloween, another important US deadline is approaching. We are obviously talking about Black Friday, a phenomenon of US origin that is now famous and consolidated in our country too.

But what exactly does it consist of? When was he born? And why Black Friday?

What is Black Friday?

The day marked in red on the calendar of shopping and bargain lovers can be considered as the day that opens the shopping season for the Christmas period. Black Friday is in fact a special day, in which online and offline retailers offer special discounts.

These discounts and promotions are primarily but not exclusively focused on 24 hours on Fridays. Many shops and chains, both online and locally, create initiatives that often last several days, starting before and ending after Black Friday itself.

But when exactly is Black Friday ?

When is Black Friday celebrated?

This event is usually celebrated towards the end of November. In fact, Black Friday does not have a fixed date, but depends on another event which can also vary in date over the years.

Black Friday is in fact always the day after Thanksgiving.

This important American holiday ( Thanksgiving Day in English) has origins in the history of the colonies. Festival of Christian origin, always takes place on the fourth Thursday of November. In this festival we thank God for the harvest obtained during the spring and summer seasons.

So the dates of Thanksgiving and Black Friday change from year to year, still following a fixed pattern that allows you to immediately understand when the events will take place.

For 2022, for example, Thanksgiving Day will be November 24th and therefore, Black Friday will be Friday November 25th 2022.

Why Black Friday?

Why is this day called Black Friday ? There is no precise reason, but four, all interesting and of different origins and which date back to events in the past. Let's find out:

Reason 1, economic derivation

Once upon a time, the accounting records of shops and businesses were compiled by hand. A compilation by an "amanuensis", which required that black ink be used for positive accounts and positive accounts and red ink for losing accounts and losses.

Since the day after Thanksgiving there were always large purchases and offers, on this day the register was always written entirely in black, thus becoming the Black Friday par excellence.

Reason 2, the consequences of Christmas shopping

The second reason derives directly from the 1960s. In that period the economy was very strong and Americans flocked to the streets and shops the day after Thanksgiving in order to do their first Christmas shopping. According to this theory, the city from which everything originated is Philadelphia.

Reason 3, a really chaotic day

The third origin of Black Friday also derives from the 60s and to be precise from 1961. In fact, this name was coined by the Philadelphia police who, due to a football match between the Army and the Navy, were forced to remain in road throughout the day in order to try to regulate a defined inflow and outflow of gigantic proportions.

Reason 4, chaos, but for employers

The fourth reason is to be attributed to crafty people and the world of work. This reason also dates back to a few decades ago and in particular to the 1950s, a period in which employers first noticed that more and more employees were not showing up for work the day after Thanksgiving Thursday. The most likely reason is what is now called a "bridge", to be used for a long weekend or to go shopping.

A reason that brought discomfort to the employers, who therefore considered this day as a "Black Friday" in the management of the shop.

Four possible reasons, with each of them possibly being the real cause of the name. If there is no certainty about the name, the same is true regarding the "shop" that started it all.

It's all Macy's fault

Probably one of the most famous distribution chains in the world, active in New York since 1858.

Macy's is responsible for what would later become Black Friday , even if on its first implementation date it did not yet have its current name.

The starting date of everything is in fact 1924, the year in which Macy's organized for the first time the day after Thanksgiving, a real parade through the streets of New York to celebrate the beginning of the period dedicated to Christmas shopping .

The organization took a fair risk, given that it was still a working day, but the turnout results and takings were excellent, for a "first time" to be repeated over time.

From the USA to the world

It will take until the 1980s to see a supra-national expansion of Black Friday . In fact, the same spread in that period to the nations bordering the United States and various English-speaking countries, and then arrived in the 2000s also thanks to the Internet and television in other European nations. From the point of view of shopkeepers and large chains , Black Friday is in fact an ideal opportunity, filling a somewhat "dead" month from the point of view of shopping opportunities.

Black Friday in Italy

It is not yet certain whether the traditional or digital business was successful first in Italy regarding Black Friday , but both sales channels pushed hard and benefited from this opportunity.

From a sales point of view , Black Friday also represents a great opportunity for us, especially as regards the sector of impulsive, emotional and unplanned purchases.

The numbers bear witness to this and the sum of online and offline purchases and receipts sets new records every year all over the world, for sales and turnover peaks that are exceeded year after year.

Not just Black Friday

Black Friday isn't the only shopping day imported from the USA. To keep us company today we find two other opportunities rooted in the USA and also arriving in the Italian market.

The first of the two is Cyber ​​Monday, a day dedicated only to discounts on information and technology which takes place on the first Monday after Black Friday . The second, less consolidated and known in the Italian market, but we assume for a short time, is Gray Thursday.

Gray Thursday is usually enclosed in a special opening, evening and night on Thursday evening, the Thanksgiving day that precedes Black Friday .