WHILE the Black Friday craze has spread across South Africa, its actual origin is from the United States (US). Black Friday is the day following Thanksgiving Day, which is on the fourth Thursday of November. It has been regarded as the beginning of the Christmas shopping season in the US since at least 1932.
Also read: 5 tips on how to spend smart and safely this Black Friday
It is a day of big deals, bargains and promotions for American shoppers, and this mania seems to have taken hold in South Africa. It’s not only Black Friday that has become popular in South Africa but also Cyber Monday, which is normally the Monday following Black Friday when online shoppers take to cyberspace.
One of the major reasons for the existence of Cyber Monday could be that after spending Thanksgiving Weekend with family and friends in the US, employees return to work where they shop online for whatever purchases they missed out on during Black Friday.
The term ‘Cyber Monday’ was created by marketing companies to persuade people to shop online.
In the US, the most commonly held belief is that Black Friday is the first day of the year retailers finally move from being in the red (below profit) to in the black (making a profit).
This, however, may not necessarily be true, as many other possibilities have been put forward. Historically, Black Friday referred to the crash of the US gold market in September 1869, thanks to the unscrupulous action of two Wall Street men, which led to the bankrupting of many Americans.
Philadelphia sets the scene for a second possible Black Friday origin. Mayhem would follow annually when people descended on the city for the annual football game between the army and the navy.
Whatever its origin, it has come to mark the commencement of the Christmas shopping season and has spread across the globe.
Shoppers from all the world over have now come to look forward to a day in November when they can expect deals on almost anything and make hefty savings ahead of the festive season.
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