As the season of love and Christmas cheer approaches, we cannot forget about Black Friday. Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year for most of the country. But I’m quite sure we have all had some questions about this particular day. What is it? Where did it begin? How did it get so popular? Does it have anything to do with African Americans?
Black Friday is said to have first began in the early 1950’s. After Thanksgiving, many workers would call out sick the next day in order to have four consecutive days off. It was not until the 1960’s when it was used to describe the heavy traffic produced by shoppers at the beginning of the holiday shopping season. The word “black”would refer to stores moving from the “red” to the “black” zone. The red ink indicated a loss and black indicated a profit.
Others believe Black Friday originated from slavery in the 1800’s. It is said that Black Friday began with the practice of selling slaves the day after Thanksgiving. Slave traders would sell slaves for a discounted price to plantation owners since more slaves were needed to help with the upcoming winter. This is one reason many choose not to shop on this day.
This unofficial holiday has always been popular. It has become even more popular since employers have given workers the day off. Being that schools are not in session, it has allowed younger buyers to partake Black Friday activities as well. More than 50 billion dollars was spent on Black Friday in 2014. So the real question is: is it worth it?
Is getting electronics amongst other items for half the price worth camping outside stores for hours in the cold? Is it worth the risk of being stampeded by other shoppers? Is getting a good deal and saving money worth any of the trouble? What about the possible sad history behind this holiday? If you could stay away from shopping on this day, then you should. Not only because of the materialistic meaning but also because it is dangerous. Black Friday portrays a negative example for the younger generation of how far people will go for materialistic things. I understand that every one wants a good deal, but this unofficial holiday has a way of presenting people as savages. Stampeding, running, and yelling does not make Black Friday sound fun at all. To avoid all of the commotion, consider participating in Cyber Monday.