As Thanksgiving approaches, many retailers are announcing plans for Black Friday—the day after Thanksgiving that is known in the United States as a shopping frenzy to kick off Christmas shopping. This year Black Friday falls on November 24th and, as with previous years, a huge number of retailers will offer special discounts in stores and online.
Black Friday is an important date for retailers, as it is often the first day of business in the year that they can turn a profit and move out of the red and into the black (as in profitable). It’s also an important shopping day for consumers, who are looking for the best deals of the holiday season on items like electronics, toys, and clothing.
In recent years, however, Black Friday has morphed into more of a weekend long event with the same discounts available online all month. Even more recently, the hottest items of the season—like Hatchimals and NES Classic videogame consoles—have been in short supply, with shoppers often having to wait months or even years before they can score them.
But what exactly is Black Friday and why do we celebrate it? In short, it’s a day when many people take a day off work or use up their quota of annual leave in order to shop for presents. The day after Thanksgiving is often a public holiday in the US, and many employers let employees take that time off to spend with their families, so it’s also an ideal opportunity for people who want to start their Christmas shopping early.
