Black Friday Through the Years
History of Black Friday
Since its rumored beginning in 1966, Black Friday has signified an official start to the Christmas shopping season. On the day after Thanksgving, retailers provide one-time incentives for shoppers to visit their stores, slashing prices on popular gift items and high demand products.
In this case, the early bird truly does get the worm. Consumers must arrive at the stores as early as 4 a.m. (and sometimes earlier) if they want to take full advantage of reduced prices. It may sound crazy, but thousands of people brave late November's cold temperatures year after year to get the best deals.
And even though it's black outside when this unoffocial holiday begins, that's not the reason we call it "Black Friday." Instead, the term refers to the beginning of the period in which retailers go from being in the red (posting a loss) to being in the black (turning a profit) for the year. (AP Photos/Bradley C Bower)
In this case, the early bird truly does get the worm. Consumers must arrive at the stores as early as 4 a.m. (and sometimes earlier) if they want to take full advantage of reduced prices. It may sound crazy, but thousands of people brave late November's cold temperatures year after year to get the best deals.
And even though it's black outside when this unoffocial holiday begins, that's not the reason we call it "Black Friday." Instead, the term refers to the beginning of the period in which retailers go from being in the red (posting a loss) to being in the black (turning a profit) for the year. (AP Photos/Bradley C Bower)
