7 notable Thanksgiving traditions: Pardoning a turkey, church services and ‘Friendsgiving’
7. Black Friday
Not technically about Thanksgiving per se, but the creation of Black Friday, the notable and sometimes disturbing major shopping day, is nevertheless linked to the November holiday.
The phrase “Black Friday” can be traced back to the 1950s, when police officers in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, used that term to describe the climate created by holiday shoppers and tourists.
“Not only were Philly cops not able to take the day off, but they had to work extra-long shifts dealing with the additional crowds and traffic,” explained History.com.
“Shoplifters also took advantage of the bedlam in stores and made off with merchandise, adding to the law enforcement headache.”
The term remained largely centered on Philadelphia until the 1980s, when retailers nationwide began to co-op the phrase to emphasize the idea of going from “red to black” financially.
