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Why Is It Called Black Friday? Maybe Blame Philly

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By RUSS CARDWELL

The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 27, 2008

Fats Domino gave us "Blue Monday," and we got "Ruby Tuesday" from the Rolling Stones. But why does the day after Thanksgiving always bring Black Friday?

The first usage of the term "Black Friday" for the day after Thanksgiving may date to 1965, when police in Philadelphia (The City of Brother, We Love to Shop) began using the term in regard to customers so rowdy they were causing crowd control problems.

For retailers, Black Friday is the unofficial kickoff of the Christmas season, and the last few weeks of the year can mean a business will end in the black — a good thing — or in the red — not so much.

Black Friday is thought by many to be the busiest shopping day of the year, and twice in this decade it actually has been. But usually it's just one of the busiest shopping days. The days close to Christmas can get even crazier.

There are also bad connotations associated with Black Friday, a time when shoppers are known to camp outside stores hours before they open. Later they rush inside, pushing and shoving over that gotta-have-it item of the year.

"Attention Kmart shoppers. Can we get an ambulance on aisle 10?"

For those about to shop, we salute you. And leave you with some encouragement from Fats: "Saturday mornin', Saturday mornin', all my tiredness has gone away."

Now deck the halls, and not your fellow shopper.

Sources: associatedcontent.com, thecitydesk.net

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