What Is Black Friday May 2026

Retailers, unhappy with the negative "Black Friday" label, successfully rebranded it in the late 1980s.

: In the early 1950s, factory managers used the term to describe workers calling in sick the day after Thanksgiving to enjoy a four-day weekend. what is black friday

: The first recorded use of the term referred to a 1869 U.S. gold market crash caused by speculators Jay Gould and James Fisk. Retailers, unhappy with the negative "Black Friday" label,

Black Friday is the day after the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, traditionally marking the unofficial start of the Christmas shopping season . It is the busiest shopping day of the year in the United States, known for deep discounts and massive crowds both in-store and online. The Dark History of the Name what is black friday