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Black Friday

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Black Friday
See also   Thanksgiving in USA,   Cyber Monday in USA

It is interesting to note that this term was not in use until 1960s, and was not popular at all until two decades. Since about two decades merchant have been pushing their cusomers to shop on Friday, next to Thanksgiving Thursday in USA. Until two decades big businessmen, such as Macy's (of USA) and Eaton's (Canada) used to sponsor the Thanksgiving parade which would take place on the next day of Thanksgiving Day (Friday). After the Parade, people used to begin their shopping for Christmas. So by the 1930s, the Friday after Thanksgiving Thursday became the official day of Christmas shopping. The retailers were dissatisfied with this arrangement as they found that Christmas shopping time was short, because in those times the Thanksgiving was on the last Thursday of November. In 1939, President Roosevelt chnaged this to the 4th Thursday of November. Thus the shopping period for Christmas increased a little more.

"Black Friday" term did not come in existence until mid-1960s, but in spite of introducing the term in mid-1960s, the term did not get popular until three decades later - after 1990s. The well-documented reference is from Philadelphia polce officers, bus drivers, cab drivers etc who dreaded this day as the very crowded day - traveling in a massive number. The first documented reference is in January 1966, written by Bonny Taylor Black - "Black Friday" is the name which the Philadelphia Police Department has given to the Friday following Thanksgiving Day. It is not a term of endearment to them. "Black Friday" officially opens Christmas shopping season in center city and it usually brings massive traffic jams and over-crowded sidewalks as the downtown stores are mobbed from opening to closing."

One should be assured that Black Friday is not the biggest shopping day. In fact it is not even in top 5 shopping days. The biggest shopping day has always been the Saturday before Christmas day, except on a few occasions.

Cyber Monday (Monday after Thanksgiving Day) is one of the biggest online shopping day.

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When the First Thanksgiving was Celebrated?
(1) 1621, (2) 1590, (3) 1856, (4) 1789, (5) 1930

In USA, the Thanksgiving was started by Plymouth Colony in 1621 to celebrate the harvest reap. After the American Revolution, the 1st National Thanksgiving, proclaimed by George Washington, was celebrated on November 26, 1789. It was.

When the First National Thanksgiving Holiday was Proclaimed?
(1) 1621, (2) 1590, (3) 1856, (4) 1789, (5) 1930

In USA, the First National Thanksgiving Holiday was proclaimed by George Washington after the American Revolution, on November 26, 1789.

Which US President postponed Thanksgiving for one week to facilitate Christmas shopping?
(1) John F Kennedy, (2) Dwight D Eisenhower, (3) Franklin D Roosevelt, (4) Richard M Nixon, (5) None of the above

In 1939, Franklin Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving up a week (on 3rd Thursday) to help stir up the economy during the Depression so that the Christmas shopping season could last longer. This did not go over well, so in 1941 Congress ruled that Thanksgiving will always be the 4th Thursday in November.

Who coined the Term "Cyber Monday" and when?
Shop.org then coined this term, even though the Monday after Thanksgiving had never been the online shopping day before this. The actual peak period was between 5th December to 15th December.

 

 

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Created by Sushma Gupta on 9/27/06
Contact:  sushmajee@yahoo.com
Updated on 01/22/13