by Caitlyn Madore
One of the most historic and anticipated shopping days of the year is just around the corner, the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday. The official start of the holiday season. People across the United States start their day before dawn and wait in the bone chilling cold just to buy the newest and most sought after products of the season.
Major retailers offer massive discounts on an assortment of products; TVs, computers, clothing, toys, and more. People research weeks in advance, planning their attack; lists of stores to hit; products desired at each store in order of importance; and the gathering of teams to grab everything on the shopping list as quick as possible. It is all part of the Black Friday experience.
Now the name of this day may seem odd, but it was chosen with common sense. It was coined back in the nineteenth century when a retailer finally made enough income to break out of the red zone and into the black zone. In other words, a profit was finally made. This was when the by-hand accounting system was used. Red ink indicated a loss and black ink indicated a gain. Even though this system is no longer used, the legacy of Black Friday still lives on today.
