The History and Evolution of Black Friday And How It Got Its Name – Yahoo Life

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Black Friday is widely considered to be the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season. Occurring this year on November 24, Black Friday has become an inextricable part of the long, post-Thanksgiving weekend, thanks to the sales and discounts that seemingly every store offers.

For shoppers who love the thrill of the hunt and want to get a head start on shopping for their holiday gifts, Black Friday sales offer an opportunity to complete their present purchasing while saving money at the same time. Others may look for discounts on big-ticket household appliances, like dishwashers and washing machines.

But, why is it called Black Friday? Here, we're diving into the history of Black Friday, exploring how it has evolved into the massive shopping event it is today, and even offering some strategies for finding the best deals during this time.

The name Black Friday sounds curiously gloomy, and it does have a decidedly dark origin. It originally referred to the days of two financial crashes. The first Black Friday, in 1869, saw the price of gold collapse. In 1929, Black Monday marked the steep decline of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which was the start of the Great Depression.

The meaning began to change in the '50s and '60s: According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, traffic police in Philadelphia began referring to the day after Thanksgiving as Black Friday, due to the holiday-related traffic jams and crowded sidewalks filled with shoppers.

In the late 80s, retailers started making Black Friday a dedicated shopping event by opening their stores earlier, closing later, and offering special one-day sales. Since then, the shopping window for certain stores has widened to encompass the entire week leading up to and following Black Friday.

The widely accepted definition of Black Friday now is the day when retailers balance sheets supposedly go from being in the red for most of the year to in the black, meaning theyre operating at a profit.

In recent years, Black Friday has spawned other shopping holidays, including Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, GivingTuesday, and Green Monday, which is the last day shoppers can place an online order in time for Christmas. (Typically, it's the second Monday in December). These offshoots extend the holiday shopping spree beyond the one-day sale, and, in some cases, help promote independent retailers and charitable causes over big-box stores.

To score the best Black Friday deals, youll want to plan ahead. Many retailers start their sales early, so rather than waiting until Friday morning to start scouring websites, start checking them late on Wednesday evening. Even if the sales havent started, most sites will mention when they will begin.

Spend some time making a list of gifts (for yourself and others) that youd like to buy, so you dont get caught up in the excitement and end up with a lot of things you dont need. If you're concerned about the traffic congestion and crowds at brick-and-mortar stores, you can plan to shop online.

Many stores, like Best Buy, have price-matching policies, so if you buy an item on Thanksgiving and the price drops further on Black Friday, you can request a price adjustment. (Just note that some exclusions do apply).

Before you smash that add to cart button, take a moment to Google the item youre considering. Youll be able to see what its selling for elsewhere and decide if youre getting the best deal.

Theres nothing worse than finding something you think youll love online, discovering that its all wrong, and being unable to return it. If theres a chance that you might need to exchange or return an item, be sure to read the retailers return policy so you don't wind up disappointed.

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The History and Evolution of Black Friday And How It Got Its Name - Yahoo Life