The History of Black Friday
How to navigate America's consumerist holiday
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The Beginnings of Black Friday
Black Friday is as American as Christmas or Thanksgiving. This is the time of year when Americans celebrate our consumerism by using this time of year to purchase as many material goods as possible. Why shouldn’t we? We’ve worked hard all year and the air fryer that’s 60% off has our name on it.
Taking a look back in time, the Black Friday we know today began in the 1950s, according to History.com.
Back in the 1950s, police in the city of Philadelphia used the term to describe the chaos that ensued on the day after Thanksgiving, when hordes of suburban shoppers and tourists flooded into the city in advance of the big Army-Navy football game held on that Saturday every year…Shoplifters also took advantage of the bedlam in stores and made off with merchandise, adding to the law enforcement headache.
From this overpopulated event, merchants began to set up shop outside of the football game. The rest is history as Black Friday evolved once more in the 1980s as retailers latched on to the ability to produce additional profits. With the turn of the century, Black Friday continues to evolve with changing store hours and its cousin, Cyber Monday.
How to Navigate the Cheapest Weekend of the Year
It’s a common misconception that Black Friday can be good for your wallet, but is that always the case? Here are some of my personal rules for Black Friday.
Keep it to a minimum. Focus on necessities only.
Start with a list (preferably ones that you’ve been thinking about all year)
Write down sales ahead of time if possible to weigh your need of the item
Consider buying Christmas gifts instead
My personal approach is to continue weighing the necessity of what you buy. While it might seem appealing to buy an air fryer, is it needed? We should continue to quell our desire for material goods and want less.
This year, I used this time to buy a household appliance that needed updating since last year as it wasn’t a necessity, but it’s been on my mind. Secondly, I’ve planned Christmas gifts in advance with bargain sales and continued to relish in my friendships as they’re more important to me at the end of the day.
Have a great week,
Jordan