Black Friday: How a Day of Chaos Became the World’s Biggest Shopping Festival

While there are festive offers and deals round the year, the Black Friday Sale is something different. The term 'Black Friday Sale' conjures a picture of huge discounts, crowding of shopping malls, and crashing of websites. This sale is popular not only in India but all over the world, and the craze can be similar everywhere.

Every year, millions of people worldwide wait for the Black Friday Sale, but the question is: why was the word "black" added to this sale day, and how did such a sale originate? Have you ever wondered that? If not, then let's learn about the Black Friday sale today.

If we look at the history of Black Friday, its roots lie in America. It occurs every year on the fourth Friday of November, the day after Thanksgiving (the fourth Thursday of November). Thanksgiving is a major festival in America, traditionally marking the unofficial start of the Christmas shopping season, and retailers offer heavy discounts on this day.

The term "Black Friday" was first used in the 1950s by police officers in Philadelphia in a negative sense to describe the massive crowds, traffic jams, and chaos that engulfed the city after Thanksgiving. In the 1980s, retailers gave the term a positive connotation, stating that it was the day when stores went from "red" (losses) to "black" (profits), leading to huge profits for shopkeepers.

Although it originated in offline retailers and stores, in the modern era, its craze is now more visible on online shopping platforms. Retailers across the world offer huge discounts and exciting deals to attract customers on this day. Millions of shoppers flock to stores or shop online to get the best deals.

During this sale, customers get huge discounts on many product segments. These include electronics (smartphones, TVs, refrigerators), fashion, beauty products, home appliances, and more. Originally originating in the US, the Black Friday sale has now gained a global following, with countries across the world, including India, hosting this sale across online and offline stores.