About Black Friday

Black Friday is synonym for the first Friday after Thanksgiving, better known as the start of the holiday shopping season. This is technically correct. This definition, however, fails to reveal Black Friday's true nature. It is America's D-Day when consumers launch on the floors of stores everywhere, wallets and credit cards at the ready, sideswiping one another for the very best deals. Shops not ready for the swarm will flounder; patrons not prepared for chaos will rue the day they didn't arrive earlier. Truly, it is Capitalism's day of war.

Advertising

Advertising for Black Friday usually begins right after Halloween at the end of October. Companies advertise in newspapers, flyers, television commercials and Internet, raising consumers' shopping expectations to a fever pitch. The deals available on this single day rival any the rest of the year. Or at least that's what sellers want you to believe. Company PR hacks deny the existence of subliminal advertising that says, in effect, "Be there or be square."

Anthropological Considerations

While not a national holiday, (as of yet), many people already have the day after Thanksgiving off, leaving them with no excuse not to partake in the deal finding fun. It is one of the few American traditions that cut across all sociological lines: gender, ethnicity, region and religion. Akin to the Super Bowl, Black Friday is truly a unifying event. Women and daughters especially take to the streets in a bonding manner not seen since birth or prom.

All's Fair in Love & War

Shopping warriors must be prepared lest they face the ultimate disgrace: an item that has sold out or watch as a rival shopper grabs the last item off the shelf. Shoppers usually wake well before the crack of dawn, (with some urban legends reporting shoppers staying up all night), waiting outside the mall's double-doors. Wal-Mart, after all, opens its doors at midnight. The more experienced consumers bring vitamins, snack bars, with some even donning football protective gear against the onslaught of elbows and careening shopping carts.

The Anti-Black Friday Movement

A small band of Americans has taken as their cause to avoid all malls during this time to dodge the running-of-the-bulls mentality of their fellow humans. While a minority at this time, the movement is growing and advertisers are anxious to stop their message from spreading.

The Future

Black Friday, in some cases, has become Black Weekend, with deals spread across the entire weekend. Cyber Friday and Cyber Monday now exist with special deals across the Internet. As long as there are gifts given and opened at Christmas and Hanukkah, it appears that Black Friday is here to stay.