What is Black Friday? A students’ guide to the history of America’s biggest shopping binge
Black Friday's origins are far removed from today's shopping frenzy. Initially, the term signified a 1869 financial panic on Wall Street. Later, it described chaotic post-Thanksgiving shopping in 1950s Philadelphia. Retailers then cleverly rebranded it in the 1980s, transforming a day of disorder into a national sales event, now marking the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season.
Black Friday's origins are far removed from today's shopping frenzy. Initially, the term signified a 1869 financial panic on Wall Street. Later, it described chaotic post-Thanksgiving shopping in 1950s Philadelphia. Retailers then cleverly rebranded it in the 1980s, transforming a day of disorder into a national sales event, now marking the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season.
