Friday, November 25, 2011

Black Friday?

Husband and I were talking yesterday, wondering when this whole Black Friday business started and why they feel the need to call it that. 

Black Monday was a bad day.  In 1987, the stock market crashed and traders were throwing themselves out windows.

Black Tuesday was a similar bad day.  In 1929, the stock market crashed and threw the country into the Great Depression.

Black Wednesday is supposedly the biggest teen binge-drinking day of the year.

1929 wasn't a good year for days, and it had a Black Thursday, too.  Of course, with this year's overflow of Black Friday sales onto the day before, they're starting to refer to Thanksgiving night as Black Thursday, too.

And you may not know it - unless you're down under - but there's a Black Saturday, too.  So named because of raging brush fires in Victoria in 2009, it was the worst day for wildfires in the nation's history.

Black Sunday was a fictional bad day.  Terrorists plot to blow up the stadium where the Super Bowl is being held.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that all the other 'Black Days' are black because something bad happened.  How could a day of shopping, spending, getting bargains, and generally being good little capitalists be bad?

Okay, sure, some people get crazy and make the experience bad.  It seems like every year fights break out and someone gets hurt.  Last year some woman got trampled to death by the crowd trying to get into a Walmart for extra bargains.  That, my friends, would make any day dark.

But really, unless you choose to make today a bad day, it really shouldn't be 'black' for you.  I think we should call it something else entirely.  My husband suggested 'Good Friday' but that's already been taken.  So how about we call this 'Best Friday' because for bargain hunters like me, it would be the best day of the year.  (You know, if I like didn't hate crowds and totally avoid shopping on days like today.)

What do you think we should rename this day to?  Why do you think they call it 'Black'?  (And no cheating by asking Google the origin of the name.  I'm looking for creative thoughts here.)

5 comments:

  1. I also thought it a little odd to call today Black Friday. Mind you I can't think of a replacement name Frivolous Friday... Ummm

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  2. My guess is it's the day that puts many businesses in the black - out of the red ink that indicates losses. (I'll go check G in a minute.)

    I'd go for Bargain Friday. :-)

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  3. Deb's right - it's typically the day businesses pass the break even mark. Seems kind of late in the year to do that, but whatever.

    How about Crazy Friday - cause you have to be crazy to stand outside in the cold waiting for the store to open in hopes of saving some money. I've done it a couple of times and even then I thought I was crazy to do it. I doubt I ever do it again. I really hate crowds!

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  4. Frivolous Friday works for me, Debs. So many people spending so much money they don't have.

    Ding ding ding - you got it right, Deb. At least that's the Wikipedia answer I liked best. Bargain Friday works, too. I love bargains.

    Exactly, Stacy. And yeah, it seems late in the year, but some businesses count on this weekend to make it into the black. Heh, so far I think I like Crazy Friday the best. It seems nuts to do all that - even to save money. I saw one guy on the news who's in line to buy 4 TVs today. That's crazy.

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  5. I did know that it's named that after the day businesses supposedly go from "in the red" to "in the black", but I have my doubts that it all happens today!

    And no, I didn't go. Although I am pleased to say no riots have been reported in WI today!
    erica

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