What is Black Friday?

It is after 4....but not much.....and I am one of the few of the millions who is not braving the elements to get that just right bargain this morning.  You will not find me crashing through the doors of any store today....I woke up with a cold....but even if I hadn't...I would not be camping out at Best Buy or beating up other women at Walmart....actually....I am pretty much through with my Christmas shopping.  I buy all year long....because I like to pick out just the perfect gift for the people I buy for.  I have a gift closet....where all the gifts are stored after I buy them.  BUT...I am only one....for millions of people Black Friday is the time to do some serious Christmas shopping --even before the last of the Thanksgiving leftovers are gone! We all know that it is the Friday after Thanksgiving, and it's one of the most major shopping days of the year in the United States. It can fall anywhere between November 23 and 29. This year it is right in the middle on the 26th.  While it's not recognized as an official US holiday, many employees have the day off -except of course those working in retail.  So I decided this morning I would look up the origin of Black Friday and found that there is actually an official Black Friday web site.  According to them the term "“Black Friday” was coined in the 1960s to mark the kickoff to the Christmas shopping season. “Black” refers to stores moving from the “red” to the “black,” back when accounting records were kept by hand, and red ink indicated a loss, and black a profit. Ever since the start of the modern Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1924, the Friday after Thanksgiving has been known as the unofficial start to a bustling holiday shopping season.  In the 1960's, police in Philadelphia griped about the congested streets, clogged with motorists and pedestrians, calling it “Black Friday.” In a non-retail sense, it also describes a financial crisis of 1869: a stock market catastrophe set off by gold spectators who tried and failed to corner the gold market, causing the market to collapse and stocks to plummet.  As retailers began to realize they could draw big crowds by discounting prices, Black Friday became the day to shop, even better than those last minute Christmas sales. Some retailers put their items up for sale on the morning of Thanksgiving, or email online specials to consumers days or weeks before the actual event. The most shopped for items are electronics and popular toys, as these may be the most drastically discounted. However, prices are slashed on everything from home furnishings to apparel."  I don't know about you.....but I don't want home furnishings for Christmas....it is all about ME!  "Black Friday is a long day, with many retailers opening up at predawn in the a.m. or even earlier to hordes of people waiting anxiously outside the windows." That would scare me.....to be ready to open the doors of a business and see thousands of faces staring at my every move....waiting to get in.....quickly. That would cause me to go running from the building in the opposite direction.  "There are numerous doorbuster deals and loss leaders – prices so low the store may not make a profit - to entice shoppers. Today, most large retailers post their Black Friday ad scans, coupons and offers online beforehand to give consumers time to find out about sales and plan their purchases. or strategies of attack. Other companies take a different approach, waiting until the last possible moment to release their Black Friday ads, hoping to create a buzz and keep customers eagerly checking back for an announcement.  More and more, consumers are choosing to shop online, not wanting to wait outside in the early morning chill with a crush of other shoppers or battle over the last most-wanted item. Often, many people show up for a small number of limited-time "door-buster" deals, such as large flat-screen televisions or laptops for a few hundred dollars. Since these coveted items sell out quickly, quite a few shoppers leave the store empty handed. The benefit of online shopping is that you will know right away if the MP3 player you want is out of stock, and can easily find another one without having to travel from store to store. Also, many online retailers have pre-Black Friday or special Thanksgiving sales, so you may not even have to wait until the big day to save. So, there you have it - the Black Friday history behind the best shopping day of the year!  If you are one of the Black Friday shoppers...then good luck.  If you are like me and will NOT be out and about this morning....then have a Happy Friday.  The Iron Bowl is today....Auburn vs. Alabama....I know whatever we do...we won't be far from a television.