What is Black Friday? A short history

Name and timing

In the United States, Black Friday refers to the Friday after Thanksgiving. Retailers and shoppers treat it as the unofficial start of the Christmas shopping season. The nickname has been linked in popular histories to crowded city streets and, later, to retailers moving “into the black” (profit)—explanations vary, but the calendar hook is consistent: the day after Thanksgiving.

From regional rush to national event

Department-store crowds and early opening hours spread through the late twentieth century. Newspaper ads and TV promotions turned a local crush into a national expectation. In recent years, many chains moved doorbusters online or into the week before Thanksgiving, so “Black Friday” now describes a multi-day sales window as much as a single morning.

Doorbusters and limited stock

Classic doorbuster marketing uses a few deeply discounted items to draw traffic. Quantities are limited; rain checks may not apply. Understanding that structure helps set expectations: the dramatic price is often for a specific SKU, not the whole store.

Link to Cyber Monday

Cyber Monday—typically the Monday after Thanksgiving—grew as an online counterpart when more people returned to work computers after the holiday. Many retailers now blur the two, running continuous “holiday sale” banners. See «Cyber Monday vs Black Friday: what’s the difference?» for 2026 timing.

2026 reminder

In 2026, Thanksgiving is Thursday 26 November (OPM), so Black Friday is Friday 27 November. It is not a federal holiday.

Cultural summary with Wikipedia as support. Last verified 2026-10-15.