Today is the so-called Black Friday, an anniversary that we borrowed from the United States, where it marks the start of Christmas shopping. But have you ever wondered why such a disastrous name? Why is it called Black Friday?
The answer is actually not simple, in the sense that more than a single reason, it is the result of a mix of events that have marked his name. Among these we remember some in particular:
- The financial crisis of 1869: one of the first associations of the term “Black Friday” dates back to September 24, 1869, a Friday obviously, when there was a collapse of the gold market in the United States, caused by excessive speculation. This event caused a financial collapse and hence the term “Black Friday”, due to its negative consequences on the economy.
- Traffic and chaos in Philadelphia: A more modern origin of the term “Black Friday” is tied to 1950s and 1960s Philadelphia, where it was used to describe the heavy traffic and chaos that followed Thanksgiving. This day marked the official start of the Christmas shopping season, and the police called it “Black Friday” due to the long hours and disorder caused by the large number of shoppers and tourists in the city.
- From Red Numbers to Black Numbers: up until now we have seen mostly negative connotations, but there is one that comes later and is certainly more optimistic. In fact, “Black Friday” indicates the point in the year when sales went from “red” numbers (losses) to “black” numbers (profits). Hence, Black Friday has become a positive day, associated with great deals and discounts for consumers.
Regardless of the precise origin, it is clear that it is one of the many imported anniversaries, which in this case has even become global.
And like all non-native things, Black Friday in Italy has now “mutated”, and from a single day it has become almost an entire month. But this is another matter, which we have already addressed in this article.
BLACK FRIDAY AMAZON
