Why is the day after thanksgiving called “Black Friday”?
It has its roots in retail sales, actually. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrases “in the red” or “in the black” meaning that you’re losing or making money, respectively. Many smaller retail stores operate “in the red” for the first portion of the year, or walk a very fine line where they’re covering costs, but not really making a profit. The day after Thanksgiving is the busiest shopping day of the year and almost always the one day that a retailer can pull down more money than any other day of the year. So “Black Friday” refers to the retailers finally being able to turn an actual profit.
