Black Friday: origins and curiosities

The month of November has become a synonym of savings also within the mind of Italians starting from when Italian shopping habits were influenced by the unmissable Black Friday. One day that often becomes one week, at the end of the month, during which retailers offer discounts and promotions on their products, both in physical existing shops as well as in online shops.

However, this special day for shopping lovers, that this year corresponds to 26 November, finds its roots overseas, in the United States of America during the last century.

The mystery about the origins of Black Friday

Let’s make a step backwards in the history of this frenetic shopping day! One of the most important occasions for the American people is the now famous Thanksgiving Day, celebrated on the last Thursday of the month of November, to indicate gratitude for all that has been received during the past year. It seems that the only starting point from which it is possible to get information on the origins of today’s Black Friday actually is Thanksgiving Day since Black Friday is celebrated precisely the Friday immediately after such anniversary every year.

The most reliable hypothesis

It is said that in 1924, on the day after Thanksgiving, one of the most important US distributions chains – Macy’s – organized a real parade to inaugurate the beginning of the Christmas festive period and of Christams purchasing. It seems that during this day Macy’s encouraged costumers’ purchases by means of strong discounts and promotions. In the following years the other shops imitated such event created by this famous shopping group.

Another version, however, states that the authentic Black Friday was born in Philadelphia in Pennsylvania in the Sixties when the police had to manage the huge traffic during the football match that saw the Army against the Navy. Given the event actually, retailers were promoting sales expecting a massive flow of people within town streets!

Police indicated that day as a “Back Friday”.

What does Black Friday mean?

Also on the meaning of these words there are many different theories.

Black as ink

In the last century, the accounting records were written by hand using the red color for losses and the black color for profits, therefore assets. During the Friday that followed Thanksgiving day, thanks to discounts and promotions, in the records the black color was decisively predominant!

Black as the traffic

When Black Friday was only done in physical shops, the traffic that poured into the roads was extremely high and was capable of congesting the road system. Black color was therefore associated to such situation, when the air became black due to the heavy traffic.

Black Weekend 2021 by Patrizia Volpato

Also Patrizia Volpato will adhere to Black Friday 2021 with a whole weekend of discounts!
From 26 to 28 November, for three days, you’ll have the chance to buy the design lighting products of our New Collections in our online shop with 30% discount!

A unique chance to bring home with you a luxury chandelier made with precious materials, handcrafted processes and totally Made in Italy!