Origins of Black Friday- Unveiling the Year It Began to Dominate Shopping Culture

What year did Black Friday start? This question often sparks curiosity among shoppers and historians alike. Black Friday, the day following Thanksgiving in the United States, has become synonymous with massive discounts and the beginning of the holiday shopping season. However, the origins of this phenomenon date back much further than most people realize. In this article, we will delve into the history of Black Friday and uncover the year it officially began.

The term “Black Friday” originally referred to the financial losses businesses incurred on the day after Thanksgiving. It was believed that retailers would “go into the black” after this day, meaning they would turn a profit for the year. The phrase gained popularity in the 1960s, but it wasn’t until the 1980s that it began to be associated with the shopping frenzy we know today.

While the exact year Black Friday started is somewhat unclear, it is widely believed to have originated in the late 1960s. One of the earliest known references to Black Friday as a shopping event comes from Philadelphia in 1966. The city’s police department used the term to describe the chaos that ensued on the day after Thanksgiving as thousands of shoppers descended upon the city’s department stores.

However, the term gained national recognition in the 1980s, when retailers began to actively promote Black Friday as a shopping event. This was partly due to the growing influence of consumer culture in the United States and the desire of retailers to boost sales. By the 1990s, Black Friday had become a mainstream phenomenon, with shoppers eagerly anticipating the massive discounts and deals that awaited them.

In conclusion, while the exact year Black Friday started is not definitively known, it is widely believed to have originated in the late 1960s. The term initially referred to the financial losses retailers incurred on the day after Thanksgiving, but it has since evolved into a symbol of the holiday shopping season. Today, Black Friday continues to be a significant event for both shoppers and retailers, with its origins rooted in the desire for financial success and the celebration of consumer culture.