When Was the First Black Friday Ever?

First Black Friday ever dates back to the 19th century. Did you know when was the first Friday shopping spree ever?

You probably know about the first iPhone ever, but how about the biggest global shopping spree which happens every last Friday in November?

If you ever went on a shopping spree at the end of November, you must know the frenzy that happens during that time. However, did you know the origins of the first November Shopping Spree ever?

Black Friday deals, people queuing up for end of November shopping spree.
By Gridprop at English Wikipedia – Own work (Original text: I (Gridprop (talk)) created this work entirely by myself.), Public Domain

What Is Black Friday?

Black Friday is a shopping event that commemorates the first Friday that follows Thanksgiving, the most famous American holiday.

The goal of the famous shopping day is to encourage Americans to do the shopping for the upcoming Christmas season.

Where Was The First Black Friday Ever?

Although we can tie its roots to the US, the tradition of shopping has spread all around the world. European countries eagerly await last Friday in November as well.

It indicates the beginning of pre-Christmas shopping fever and fantastic savings.

People standing in line at Target for Black Friday deals.
By Gridprop at English Wikipedia – Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by Common Good using CommonsHelper. (Original text: I (Gridprop (talk)) created this work entirely by myself.), Public Domain,

Where Did Black Friday Get Its Name?

The term has been used since the early 1960s in Philadephia. It marks the day of the year when people buy so much that the sellers’ financial records turn red from red ink that marks loss to black from the black ink that marks profit.

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Therefore, this is how Black Friday is called like that – because black ink marks the profit.

However, there is another theory where it got its name. According to Business Insider, it originates from 1869 when two traders drove up the gold prices. As a result, that ended up in a crash of the stock market, which was a black day.

Yet another theory about the origin of its name is that it is due to crazy traffic levels. As a result of good deals and bargain prices, people storm the streets. Consequently, both pedestrian and vehicle traffic comes to a dark still.

It happens the weekend after Thanksgiving. It is the best shopping weekend of the year since people can buy things on a discount as high as 90 percent.

When Was the First Black Friday Ever?

Although it’s difficult to determine when exactly the day after Thanksgiving became the shopping spree day, it certainly dates back to the 19th century.

During that time, many department stores sponsored Christmas-themed parades. One of the most famous Christmas parades is the Macy’s parade, held every year in New York.

Marketers used the parades to promote sales before Christmas. Since it became an unwritten rule to start marketing sales after the festivities, the marketers started a new trend.

To this day, both brick-and-mortar and online stores continue the tradition of giving from 10 to 90 percent shopping discounts at this time of the year. 

Top Facts About Black Friday – Most Famous Shopping Day

During the 1930s, marketers still followed the tradition of not promoting stores before Thanksgiving. People celebrated it in the last week of November.

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Therefore, in 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt decided that Thanksgiving should occur in the fourth week of November. So, in some years, the department stores would have more shopping days.

However, some people never adopted the new date, and they celebrate Thanksgiving in the third week of November.

What is Amazon Prime Day?

Moreover, Amazon, the US retail giant, invented “Prime Day” in July. It is a spin-off to the end of November shopping spree. The company organizes the two-day shopping event only for Amazon Prime members.

What Black Friday Was the Best One Ever?

Walmart Black Friday 2018 had a huge chunk in a record of $6.22 billion only in online sales. So, Walmart Black Friday 2019 could be one of the most successful shopping events to date. 

Best Black Friday Deals Walmart
By Ildar Sagdejev (Specious) – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,

On the other hand, Black Friday deals 2018 were happening all over the online and physical retail places. For instance, Best Buy had one of the biggest deals. So, Black Friday deals 2020 won’t be any different.

What to Do on the Shopping Spree Day?

The answer is pretty obvious: You should go shopping and find the best Black Friday deals.

They are perfect for those who have been wanting for a long time to buy something they liked but never bought it because of its price.

There is a good chance that it will be among the products for sale, so it saves you money.

This day is also an excellent opportunity to buy Christmas presents for loved ones. Extreme discounts will help you save a lot of money.