This coming Friday, November 24 is a holiday better known as “Black Friday.” When it comes to Black Friday, most of us are only interested in the shopping deals, but a majority of the American population would not be able to explain how Black Friday even began. The first time that the term “Black Friday” was used was not in the context of retail. According to History, an online history fact source, on September 24, 1869 two Wall Street financiers, Jay Gould and Jim Fisk worked together to buy as much of the nation’s gold as they could. They were then going to turn around and drive the price sky-high and make a large profit on it. On that fourth Friday of September the conspiracy was revealed and the stock markets began to free-fall and bankrupt everyone from Wall Street to farmers.
This is not the only idea behind how Black Friday originated. Some claim it was due to overwhelming amount of shoppers that would swarm Philadelphia for the Army-Navy football game. Police couldn’t handle the amount of theft and people, and thus the name Black Friday emerged. Others claim it was because record books were kept in black and red writing. The black meant there was a profit and the red meant there was a loss. Due to Christmas coming and the holiday sales, the day after Thanksgiving was one of the only days that the books would get into black margins. One way or another, Black Friday has turned into a national shopping holiday. This Black Friday, share some of these fun facts while you are out shopping!
- The first recorded use of the term “Black Friday” was applied not to a shopping holiday but to a financial crisis. – History
- More than 30% of Americans shop on Black Friday- The Penny Hoarder
- Since 2006, there have been 7 reported deaths and 98 injuries throughout the U.S. on Black Friday. – Use Less Daily
- Back in the 1960’s account books were kept in either black or red pen. The red meant that there was a loss and the black meant there was a profit. – U.S. News
- Macy’s, Stage, JCPenney, Harbor Freight and Gordmans gave the best discounts in 2016 on Black Friday. – WalletHub
- Black Friday is actually the busiest day of the year for Plumbers. “Often, the case is that a house already has partially clogged drains that go unnoticed, until holiday guest arrive and overwhelm the system,” explains Roto Rooter, a Plumbing company. – The Penny Hoarder
- Last year, $50.9 billion was spent during the 4-day Black Friday weekend, which is an 11% decrease from the previous year. – Use Less Daily
- Alaska (no sales tax), Delaware, Montana, Oregon and New Hampshire were rated the top 5 states to go Black Friday shopping. – Investopedia
What are your Black Friday Fun Facts? Share and comment below!
By: Christa Vandenburgh