Were you among the crowds camped outside retail stores early this morning, hoping to cash in on Black Friday deals? Perhaps you can even see yourself reflected in these Christmas ornaments hanging in New York City’s Macy’s department store. The day after Thanksgiving is big business for retailers. Last year, 174 million Americans shopped on Black Friday weekend, according to the National Retail Federation, presumably moving retailers’ balance sheets from red (losses) to black (profits). But the term ‘Black Friday’ has a darker history. It was originally used to describe a financial crisis in 1869, and later adopted by Philadelphia police to describe post-Thanksgiving chaos at department stores in their city. Retailers later co-opted the phrase ‘Black Friday,’ giving it more positive connotations–a shift toward profitability at the start of the crucial holiday shopping season.
Let the holiday shopping commence
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Maybe we should be looking up
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A goldie gala
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Perfect timing
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Once upon a time there was a bridge…
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It s tree-climbing season
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Rising up from the black sand like rock gods
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World Theater Day
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World Wildlife Day
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Penguin Awareness Day
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Pumpkin patch
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Silver-studded blue butterflies
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Cecropia leaf and lobster claw petals in Mexico
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Detroit Industry Murals by Diego Rivera
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Here’s why landmarks are going dark
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Christmas Eve
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Hiding in plain sight
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Common raven
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World Frog Day
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A ‘Superior’ paddle
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Rainbow Mountain
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National Park Week: Haleakalā National Park, Hawaii
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Happy Father s Day
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Fibonacci Day
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Autumn comes to the Porcupines
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New beginnings
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A wassailing we go
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Getting to the bottom of the underwater waterfall
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Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica
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Shark Awareness Day
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Here’s looking at you, teachers