The Origins of Black Friday

Black Friday originally stemmed from a football game in Philadelphia, specifically the annual Army-Navy game held the Saturday after Thanksgiving. This event attracted large crowds to the city on the Friday before, leading to an overwhelming day for local police, who dubbed it 'Black Friday' due to the chaos and noise that ensued. Although this designation had a negative connotation relating to the hectic nature of the day, it gradually evolved as shoppers began to associate it with sales and shopping. The transition from a police term to a commercial holiday gained traction decades later when retailers started promoting their sales around this busy shopping day.