Black Friday History for our younger members

[whitehall]

In the old days nothing, and I mean nothing was open Thanksgiving Day. A few food stores would open in the morning and close at noon. So where ever you spent Thanksgiving you were pretty much stuck with nothing to do after dinner. ( There was no cable then either) By Friday everyone was just dying to go do something, and since most people were off from work that day , the holiday sales started. This became the start of the the holiday season. I think these days more people go out as something to do as opposed to actually getting a super deal on something. BTW to people my age. black Friday was Oct. 19, 1987. Today is the day after Thanksgiving....but that's too much to text, so it becomes BFRI.

[jcoloccia]

I'll just add that the actual name "Black Friday" originally referred to the dense traffic in...uhm....Pittsburgh maybe? Nowadays, though, it's more associated with the idea that the retailer's balance sheets are in the black starting around this time of year, i.e. this is when they start showing a profit for the year.

[rattles]

Too bad we can't go back to the way it was when we were kids.
Stores closed on Thanksgiving AND Christmas and that gave EVERYONE a chance to be with friends and family. Now it's all about the money!

And they call this progress?

[scottlr]

There was a certain feeling to Sundays and holidays back then. But I have to say that these days, we all but ignore holidays, and many times, Sunday is the only day to go shop for things. Back then, you had to plan for Sundays and holidays, so you had whatever you might need. I guess I like the way it was, but I like the way it is, too. The Black Friday feeding frenzy is what I don't get at all. I don't care if they are giving shit away, I am not going to participate in a stampede to try to get whatever it is.

[mge80]

BTW to people my age. black Friday was Oct. 19, 1987. .

Oct. 19, 1987 was a Monday. Black Monday.

[loudboy]

I'll just add that the actual name "Black Friday" originally referred to the dense traffic in...uhm....Pittsburgh maybe? Nowadays, though, it's more associated with the idea that the retailer's balance sheets are in the black starting around this time of year, i.e. this is when they start showing a profit for the year.

Not really - it was a name given by retail employees. And it had nothing to do with profits.

[jcoloccia]

Not really - it was a name given by retail employees. And it had nothing to do with profits.

Wikipedia to the rescue:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday_(shopping)#Origin_of_the_name_.22Blac k_Friday.22

I got the city wrong (It's Phily, not Pittsburgh), but the rest is accurate.

[Brian D]

And you didn't start hearing Christmas music until after Thanksgiving - not Halloween.

[Structo]

When I was a kid the only thing that seemed to be open was a few convenience stores and the movie theaters.

We usually spent the day at my cousins and would go to the movies all day long.

In those days you could sit through the same movie as long as you wanted.

[LHanson]

Wikipedia to the rescue:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday_(shopping)#Origin_of_the_name_.22Blac k_Friday.22

I got the city wrong (It's Phily, not Pittsburgh), but the rest is accurate.

No offense, but Wiki and accuracy only sometimes intersect on things like this.