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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					Porto Cathedral, Portugal
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					It s Mountain Day in Japan
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					Methow Valley, North Cascades, Washington
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					Reflections of the night sky
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					Spire Cove in Kenai Fjords National Park, Seward, Alaska
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					The mighty, mighty mushroom
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					A long winter’s nap, perhaps?
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					That s quite a schnoz, baby tapir
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					Loud waters
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					The Rainbow Houses of Houten, Netherlands
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					Christmas market at Belvedere Palace in Vienna
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					Hut, hut, hike!
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					National Public Lands Day
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					World Rivers Day
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					The Alhambra in Granada, Spain
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					World Lizard Day
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					Mardi Gras
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					The island fox’s incredible comeback
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					An ice cap-puccino
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					A great white egret in Hungary
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					Blue linckia sea stars in Papua New Guinea
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					Illuminating Annecy
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					Panda Day
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					Cloudy with a chance of enlightenment
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					The town of Pienza in Tuscany, Italy
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					Patriot Day
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					Halo around the sun
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					Pollinator Week
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					Staircase of turquoise pools
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					Earth seen from the International Space Station
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