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
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World Space Week
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Menton, France
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Ice and Snow Sailing World Championships
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Beaver achievers
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Whangārei Falls in New Zealand
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Martinique
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Museum Night in Berlin
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Memorial Day
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The Battle of the Bulge 75 years later
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World Elephant Day
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A towering view of the Pale Mountains
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Crested caracaras
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Is that a smile?
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The Twin Cities celebrate Pride
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Take the plunge into 2021
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It s International Jazz Day
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Grandparents Day
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It s National Mushroom Month!
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Día de los Muertos celebrations in Mexico
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Mooncake time
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Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel in Arkansas
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Celebrating the UN’s International Day of Families
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World of WearableArt Awards
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Honoring our fallen heroes
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The Tour de France begins
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3,000 years of history
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To Roswell, and beyond!
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Teacher Appreciation Day
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Agüero, Huesca province, Spain
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The Great Glen