History of Black Friday

As we head into spring and summer, there is plenty to celebrate! We’ve got Halloween, Christmas, and Boxing Day to look forward to. Some Australians also choose to celebrate Thanksgiving. But the most exciting new holiday of the year? Black Friday! Find out more about the history of Black Friday and where it is celebrated.

What is Black Friday?

Black Friday is not an official public holiday in Australia. However, it is celebrated by lots of people because it is a day of incredible discounts at many popular retail outlets. Black Friday is celebrated on the Friday following Thanksgiving each year. Black Friday 2022 is on 25 November 2022, so it’s almost here!

Go shopping on Black Friday and take advantage of one of the best sales you will encounter in the year. The prices are even lower at some stores than they will be on Boxing Day, so it’s definitely worth participating in. Black Friday has more recently extended to last the whole weekend through to Cyber Monday. Cyber Monday is a recent development which sees online stores offer their biggest discounts on this day. This makes it easier to nab a bargain as there are no queues – just go online and make your purchases.

Black Friday happens on the exact same day wherever you are in the world. However, not every country celebrates this holiday. That’s because it is related to Thanksgiving, which is an American holiday. Other countries have chosen to celebrate Black Friday just to take advantage of the discounts!

What Is the History of Black Friday?

So, why did Black Friday start in the first place? The term Black Friday was originally used in relation to a financial crisis, not a shopping day. Then in the 1950s, police in Philadelphia adopted this term and used it to refer to the stampeding crowds flooding the city on the day after Thanksgiving. There would always be people in town visiting family, plus lots of tourists that were there for a big football game on the weekend. They all headed into the city to do a spot of shopping on that Friday, creating chaos for the police officers. 

So, the commonly told story of retailers who were ‘in the red’ going into the black on Black Friday is not the real story behind the name. It may be true that it’s the biggest sale day of the year for many stores, but that’s not why it’s called Black Friday.

If you want to shop this year’s Black Friday sale, head to these Black Friday catalogues. This is where we have collated all of the details for the sales this year. If your favourite brand has released a catalogue packed with specials for Black Friday in Australia, you will be able to find it there. You’d better have a look now, so you don’t miss out on the incredible specials on offer.