Black Friday: The Origin of the Name and Its Significance
Article One: The Origin of Black Friday
Black Friday, the day following Thanksgiving in the United States, is widely known as the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. It is a day when retailers offer significant discounts and promotions, attracting millions of consumers. However, the origin of the name "Black Friday" is not as cheerful as the shopping frenzy it has become today.
The term "Black Friday" was first used in the 1960s to describe the chaotic traffic jams and overcrowded streets that occurred in Philadelphia on the day after Thanksgiving. The heavy pedestrian and vehicular traffic resulted from both the Army-Navy football game, which took place on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and the massive influx of suburban shoppers coming to the city for the start of the holiday shopping season.
The phrase "Black Friday" was initially used by the Philadelphia Police Department to describe the overwhelming chaos and disorder caused by the influx of shoppers. The city's police officers were required to work long hours in an attempt to manage the traffic and control the crowds. The term "black" was used to depict the negative impact and frustration that the police officers experienced during this time.
Over time, the term "Black Friday" spread beyond Philadelphia and started to be associated with the day after Thanksgiving across the entire United States. However, the negative connotation of the name remained, as it represented the hectic and often unruly nature of the day.
In recent years, however, retailers and marketers have tried to shift the perception of Black Friday to a more positive one. They have promoted the idea that the name "Black Friday" comes from the notion that this is the day when retailers finally turn a profit, moving from being "in the red" to being "in the black." This interpretation suggests that Black Friday is a day of prosperity and success for businesses, rather than the chaos and disorder it was originally associated with.
Regardless of its origins, Black Friday has become an integral part of American culture and a symbol of the start of the holiday shopping season. It has also spread to other parts of the world, with many countries adopting the concept and offering their own version of Black Friday sales and promotions.
In conclusion, while the name "Black Friday" may have originated from the chaotic traffic in Philadelphia, it has evolved to represent the beginning of the Christmas shopping season and the opportunity for retailers to turn a profit. Despite its negative connotation, Black Friday continues to attract millions of shoppers each year, making it one of the most significant retail events worldwide.
Article Two: The Significance of Black Friday
Black Friday, the day following Thanksgiving, has become synonymous with massive sales, long queues, and the start of the holiday shopping season. While it may seem like a commercial phenomenon, Black Friday holds a deeper significance in American culture.
For many, Black Friday represents an opportunity to find great deals and savings on items they have been eyeing for a while. It is a day when retailers offer significant discounts, making it an ideal time to purchase gifts for loved ones or treat oneself to something special. The excitement and anticipation that surround Black Friday have turned it into an annual tradition for many families and friends who enjoy the thrill of finding the best bargains together.
Beyond the consumer aspect, Black Friday also has economic significance. The holiday shopping season, which kicks off on Black Friday, is crucial for retailers and the overall economy. It is a time when businesses aim to attract as many customers as possible, boosting sales and generating revenue. The success of Black Friday sales often sets the tone for the rest of the holiday season and can determine a retailer's financial performance for the year.
Moreover, Black Friday has become a cultural phenomenon that brings people together. It is a day when shoppers unite in their pursuit of good deals and shared experiences. The long queues outside stores and the camaraderie among shoppers waiting for store doors to open create a sense of community and excitement. Black Friday has the power to create lasting memories and strengthen bonds between friends and family members who brave the crowds together.
In recent years, Black Friday has also extended beyond brick-and-mortar stores to online shopping. With the rise of e-commerce, many retailers now offer online deals and discounts, allowing customers to shop from the comfort of their homes. This shift has made Black Friday more accessible to a wider audience, further increasing its significance in the digital age.
In conclusion, Black Friday is more than just a day of shopping and discounts. It represents an annual tradition, an economic boost for retailers, and a cultural phenomenon that brings people together. Whether it is the thrill of finding the best deals or the sense of community that arises from shared experiences, Black Friday holds a special place in American culture and has become a significant event worldwide.
黑色星期五的由来英语美文 篇三
黑色星期五的由来英语美文
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Black Friday is the day following Thanksgiving Day1 in the United States, often regarded as the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. In recent years, most major retailers have opened extremely early and offered promotional sales to kick off the holiday shopping season, similar to Boxing Day sales in many Commonwealth Nations. Black Friday is not an official holiday, but many non-retail employees and schools have both Thanksgiving and the day after off, followed by a weekend, thereby increasing the number of potential shoppers. It has routinely been the busiest shopping day of the year since 2005, although news reports, which at that time were inaccurate, have described it as the busiest shopping day of the year for a much longer period of time.
The day’s name originated in Philadelphia, where it originally was used to describe the heavy and disruptive pedestrian and vehicle traffic which would occur on
the day after Thanksgiving. Use of the term started before 1961 and began to see broader use outside Philadelphia around 1975. Later an alternative explanation began to be offered: that “Black Friday” indicates the point at which retailers begin to turn a profit, or are “in the black”.For many years, it was common for retailers to open at 6:00 am, but in the late 2000s many had crept6 to 5:00 or even 4:00. This was taken to a new extreme in 2011, when several retailers opened at midnight for the first time. In 2012, Walmart and several other retailers announced that they would open most of their stores at 8:00 pm on Thanksgiving Day (except in states where opening on Thanksgiving is prohibited due to blue laws, such as Massachusetts where they still opened around midnight), prompting calls for a walkout among some workers.7Another New Term—Black Thursday
In recent years, retailers have been trending towards opening on Black Thursday, occurring8 Thanksgiving evening. In 2011, Walmart began its holiday sale at 10:00 pm on Thanksgiving Day for the first time. In 2012, Walmart began its Black Friday sales at 8:00 pm on the day before Thanksgiving; stores that are normally open 24 hours a day on a regular basis started their sales at this time, while stores that do not have round-the-clock shopping hours opened at 8pm. A number of media sources began referring to this instead by the name Gray Thursday.