Where did the term Black Friday come from?

If you are a sales person, beware of the day they call Black Friday. The Friday right after Thanksgiving, this is a day where customers revert to their basic instincts in order to purchase items at the lowest price available.

First used in 1966, this term was coined by the Philadelphia Police Department to refer to the worse traffic jam caused by the over crowding of sidewalks with people coming in and out of the stores. Employees also refer to the same day as black because of the stress that comes with this unofficial holiday.

The most common and more retail centered origin of this term is related to the instant shift to profitability leading up to the nearing holiday season. When computers were still non- existent, accounting records were hand written. Those written in red ink stood for financial losses but the ones written in the black ink meant profit, hence the name. Black Friday can also be traced in the Roman Catholic religion. Observed by Christians, this is a holiday during the holy week that commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus at the Calvary. With all the fuss on this day, (usually between the 23rd to the 29th of November) we can also speculate that Black Friday is the result of all the casualties of the biggest shopping sale of the year. Just last 2008, one Wal – Mart employee was trampled to death by the shoppers who couldn’t wait get in.

They broke through the glass door minutes before their actual opening which also injured a pregnant woman that ended up being hospitalized. On that same day miles away in California, 2 people had an argument in a toys’ R us. They shot fire and killed one another. Its sad how this turning point for retail companies can lead to a dead end for others. Maybe it will be better if people just stayed at home and shopped online?