Black Friday is famous for crowded stores, limited-time discounts and shoppers searching for holiday bargains. However, the story behind this American shopping tradition is much stranger than its modern image suggests. Some of the most interesting facts about Black Friday have little to do with shopping itself.

From a financial crisis involving gold to a presidential decision that changed Thanksgiving, these 10 discoveries reveal how an ordinary Friday became one of the most recognizable shopping events in the world.

1. Black Friday originally referred to a financial crisis

One of the most surprising facts about Black Friday is that the expression existed long before the modern shopping event.

On September 24, 1869, the U.S. gold market experienced a major crash known as Black Friday. Two financiers, Jay Gould and James Fisk, attempted to corner the gold market by buying large amounts of the precious metal and influencing its price.

Their plan eventually collapsed when the government intervened and gold prices plunged. The financial turmoil affected investors and businesses, giving the date its infamous name.

This event had nothing to do with holiday shopping. It happened decades before Americans began associating Black Friday with discounts, crowded stores and Christmas purchases.

The connection between Black Friday and shopping has an unusual history in Philadelphia.

During the 1950s and early 1960s, large crowds traveled to the city on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Shoppers arrived for holiday sales, while visitors also came ahead of the annual Army-Navy football game.

The combination created enormous traffic jams, crowded sidewalks and extra work for police officers. Philadelphia police reportedly used the expression Black Friday to describe the difficult conditions they faced.

By the early 1960s, the term had become associated with the city’s post-Thanksgiving shopping rush. These accounts help explain how the expression eventually became part of American retail culture.

Why do retailers use the word “black” in Black Friday? A familiar explanation connects it to traditional accounting practices.

In bookkeeping, businesses historically used black ink to record profits and red ink to record losses. Retailers later promoted the idea that Black Friday marked the moment when stores moved from operating at a loss to making a profit for the year.

This explanation helped give the shopping event a more positive image. Instead of describing traffic problems and crowded streets, the name could suggest successful sales and stronger business results.

However, the accounting story was not the original source of the expression. The Philadelphia connection appeared earlier, while retailers helped popularize the more favorable interpretation.

4. Thanksgiving was moved to extend the holiday shopping season

One of the lesser-known facts about Black Friday involves President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

In 1939, Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving one week earlier, from the last Thursday of November to the second-to-last Thursday. His administration hoped that the longer period before Christmas would encourage shopping and support businesses during the economic recovery.

The decision caused confusion across the country. Some states followed the new date, while others continued celebrating Thanksgiving on the traditional date.

For two years, Americans effectively had different Thanksgiving dates depending on where they lived. Congress settled the issue in 1941 by establishing Thanksgiving as the fourth Thursday in November.

5. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade began decades before Black Friday became a major event

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade began in 1924, long before Black Friday became a nationally recognized shopping tradition.

Originally called the Macy’s Christmas Parade, the event featured department store employees, performers and animals borrowed from the Central Park Zoo.

Large balloons joined the parade in 1927, helping create the spectacle that millions of Americans recognize today.

The parade helped establish Thanksgiving as an important beginning to the American Christmas season. While Black Friday eventually became associated with shopping, the parade gave families another way to welcome the holidays.

6. Cyber Monday did not appear until 2005

Another interesting detail among the facts about Black Friday is that its online counterpart is relatively recent.

The term Cyber Monday first appeared in 2005, when Shop.org, the online retail division of the National Retail Federation, promoted the Monday after Thanksgiving as an important day for internet shopping.

At the time, many Americans had faster internet connections at work than at home. Retailers noticed that online purchases often increased when people returned to their offices after the Thanksgiving weekend.

The name helped businesses promote internet shopping as a separate holiday event.

Today, the distinction between Black Friday and Cyber Monday is much less pronounced. Many retailers offer online promotions throughout the entire weekend instead of reserving their best deals for one specific day.

7. Black Friday was not always the busiest shopping day of the year

Many people assume Black Friday has always been the busiest shopping day in the United States. That isn’t historically accurate.

For decades, the Saturday before Christmas often attracted more shoppers because people waited until the final days before the holiday to purchase gifts.

Black Friday gradually gained importance as retailers expanded their promotions and encouraged consumers to begin holiday shopping earlier.

By the early 2000s, it had become a major shopping event across the country. However, the busiest retail day can vary depending on the year, shopping category and whether sales are measured online or in physical stores.

This is why describing Black Friday as the biggest shopping day every year can be misleading.

8. Countries without Thanksgiving also celebrate Black Friday

The international expansion of Black Friday is another surprising part of its history.

The event began as an American shopping tradition, but retailers eventually introduced it to other markets. Canada was among the first countries to adopt the event, followed by places such as the United Kingdom and Australia.

Today, retailers promote Black Friday discounts across Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Some of these countries do not celebrate Thanksgiving at all. Their participation shows how the event has evolved beyond its American origins. Retailers now use the familiar name as an international marketing opportunity, even when the holiday itself has no cultural connection to their markets.

9. Small Business Saturday was created to support local retailers

Black Friday isn’t the only shopping event associated with Thanksgiving weekend.

In 2010, American Express launched Small Business Saturday to encourage consumers to support independent businesses and local retailers.

The event takes place on the Saturday immediately after Black Friday. Its purpose is to direct some of the holiday shopping attention toward smaller businesses that may struggle to compete with major retail chains.

Local communities and organizations also embraced the idea, using the occasion to encourage residents to shop at neighborhood stores.

Together, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday helped turn Thanksgiving weekend into a broader period of shopping events.

10. Black Friday promotions now start weeks before the actual date

Despite its name, Black Friday is no longer limited to a single Friday.

Retailers increasingly begin promoting holiday discounts weeks before Thanksgiving. Some announce early-access offers, while others spread promotions across November to attract customers before competitors do.

This change reflects the growth of online shopping and increasing competition among retailers. Consumers can compare prices, receive promotional emails and purchase products without waiting for stores to open on Friday morning.

As a result, Black Friday has evolved from a one-day shopping rush into a longer promotional season. The name remains the same, but the shopping experience looks very different from the crowded store openings that once defined the event.

Final thoughts

These facts about Black Friday reveal a much more complicated history than the familiar discounts and shopping crowds suggest. The name has connections to financial turmoil and Philadelphia traffic, while presidential decisions, department store traditions and the growth of online shopping helped shape its modern identity.

What began as a local expression eventually became an international retail phenomenon. And although the way people shop continues to change, Black Friday remains closely connected to the start of the holiday shopping season.