The day's name originated in Philadelphia, where it originally was used to describe the heavy and disruptive pedestrian and vehicle trafficwhich would occur on the day after Thanksgiving. Use of the term began by 1966 and began to see broader use outside Philadelphia around 1975. Later an alternative explanation began to be offered: that "Black Friday" indicates the period during which retailers are turning a profit, or "in the black."
The news media frequently refers to it as the busiest retail shopping day of the year, but this is not always accurate. While it has been one of the busiest days in terms of pedestrian traffic at shopping centers, in terms of actual sales volume, from 1993 through 2001 Black Friday was the fifth to tenth busiest day. In 2002 and 2004, however, Black Friday ranked second place, and since 2005, it actually was the busiest retail day.
In many cities it is not uncommon to see shoppers lined up for hours before stores with big sales open. Once inside the stores, shoppers often rush and grab, as many stores have only a few of the big-draw items. Injuries and even fatalities are reported. On Friday, November 28, 2008, Jdimytai Damour, a worker at a Walmart in Valley Stream, New York was trampled to death by shoppers who broke through the store's glass doors minutes before the store's scheduled opening at 5:00 a.m.; a pregnant mother was hospitalized from injuries in the same human "stampede", though early reports of a resultant miscarriage were determined to be in error. On that same day, two people in Palm Desert, California, were shot and killed in a Toys "R" Us store during an argument.
The news media frequently refers to it as the busiest retail shopping day of the year, but this is not always accurate. While it has been one of the busiest days in terms of pedestrian traffic at shopping centers, in terms of actual sales volume, from 1993 through 2001 Black Friday was the fifth to tenth busiest day. In 2002 and 2004, however, Black Friday ranked second place, and since 2005, it actually was the busiest retail day.
In many cities it is not uncommon to see shoppers lined up for hours before stores with big sales open. Once inside the stores, shoppers often rush and grab, as many stores have only a few of the big-draw items. Injuries and even fatalities are reported. On Friday, November 28, 2008, Jdimytai Damour, a worker at a Walmart in Valley Stream, New York was trampled to death by shoppers who broke through the store's glass doors minutes before the store's scheduled opening at 5:00 a.m.; a pregnant mother was hospitalized from injuries in the same human "stampede", though early reports of a resultant miscarriage were determined to be in error. On that same day, two people in Palm Desert, California, were shot and killed in a Toys "R" Us store during an argument.
Wikipedia and its explanation aside now. When I heard this term 'Black Friday' for the first time since I arrived to USA, I thought about something else... My mind went straight to the fine movie produced in India under the same title: 'Black Friday'. It's a pity it never hit box office top 10...
The story goes like this in short: on 9 March 1993 a small time thug, Gul Mohammed, is detained at the Nav Pada police station and confesses to a conspiracy underway to bomb major locations around the city. The police dismiss his confession, and three days later, Bombay is torn apart by a series of explosions leaving 257 dead, and close to 1,400 injured. Based on the true story of the 1993 Bombay bombings. This is the full movie for anyone who will endure watching the whole thing...
It's a pity again that such fine pieces of modern cinema pass without due recognition...Shame...
Greetings Wojciech, I am delighted you were in US to celebrate Thanksgiving. I remember when I was teaching in America how wonderful Thanksgiving was - the sense of celebration was everywhere.Now you are well inculturated. I think you have become (if you were not so already, which I have no doubt you were ) very philosophical i.e the way you see things e.g the table legs, the 4 chairs , shop windows etc. I just look and pass on but you look with spiritual eyes so often and read a whole new interpretation into the most ordinary of things. You remind me of Hopkins poetry e.g he says in 'Pied Beauty '
ReplyDelete'All things counter, original, spare, strange:
Whatever is fickle, freckled( who knows what)
With swift,slow; sweet,sour; adazzle,dim;
He fathers-forth whose beauty is past chsnge:
Praise him.'
May you continue to experience the fathering forth of beauty and goodness during the remaining week of your stay. With you in spirit.
The whole world was created by God so everything reminds us of Him...no matter how trivial things they may be... We are in Him, with Him, through Him...and everything that surrounds us... God has created and said it was good...
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