Black Friday Perspective

Perhaps you are familiar with the origins of Black Friday.There are several thoughts for this name. One reference dates back to the late 1800s when many stores sponsored Thanksgiving parades. At the end of these parades, the stores would open their doors, marking the beginning of the holiday shopping season. Although it is difficult to determine the exact year this tradition started, by the early 20th century, it had become common for retailers to initiate their holiday-season sales immediately after Thanksgiving.  

Another consideration comes from the significant traffic generated by the Army-Navy football game, which took place in Philadelphia on the Saturday after Thanksgiving during the 1940s, 50s, and 60s. Crowds would arrive the day before, resulting in overwhelming traffic, which was then referred to as "Black Friday." Although the chaos caused inconvenience, retailers in Philadelphia experienced a spike in sales and began to adopt the name in a more positive light.

Lastly, retailers viewed the day after Thanksgiving and the start of the Christmas season as an opportunity to offer sales, attract a large volume of customers, and generate enough business to ensure their budgets were in the black as the year came to a close.

From the consumer's perspective, they were pleased to find excellent deals for their Christmas shopping lists!  

Regardless of whether these links accurately trace the origins of Black Friday, it is clear that both businesses and savvy shoppers appreciate a good deal. Statistics from last year revealed that 81.7 million Americans shopped in physical stores on Black Friday, while 87.3 million U.S. shoppers completed their purchases online. A staggering $10.8 billion was spent online in the U.S. on Black Friday, representing an increase of over 10% from the previous year. Globally, $74.4 billion was spent in a 24-hour period. Mobile devices played a significant role in these sales, with 69% of all global purchases on Black Friday made via smartphones or tablets. Additionally, an impressive $11 million was spent per minute between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM on that day!

All those statistics and finances remind me of a saying I heard: "The greatest things in life aren't things."  For the believer the best gift and deal of all is our relationship with Christ.  For this reason, the prophecy of Isaiah 9:6 concerning the birth of Christ states, "For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

As we begin to transition from Thanksgiving, let us not forget our blessings, especially the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ.