Black Friday is a global phenomenon that kicks off the Christmas shopping season every November. Yet despite its worldwide fame, there is often confusion about its origin. Many myths surround the name—from stock market crashes to dark hoaxes.

In reality, the true story is surprising and has nothing to do with financial statements or historical disasters. We explain where the name "Black Friday" really comes from, why the literal translation "Schwarzer Freitag" often causes confusion in Germany, and what the day means for shoppers today.

What is Black Friday? A brief definition

By definition, Black Friday (literally translated: "Schwarzer Freitag") is the day after the American holiday Thanksgiving.

In the USA, this day traditionally marks the start of the Christmas shopping season. To attract customers to their stores, retailers began offering massive discounts and special deals on this day. Today, Black Friday is internationally known as one of the highest-grossing shopping days of the year.

The true origin: Chaos in Philadelphia

The name "Black Friday" has a surprisingly negative origin. It was not invented by retailers, but coined by the police in Philadelphia, USA, in the 1950s and 1960s.

For the officers, this day was anything but a celebration. It was "black" in the sense of disastrous.

The reason: On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, the big Army-Navy football game traditionally took place in Philadelphia. This already drew huge crowds of tourists and shoppers to the city on Friday. The result was complete traffic chaos, overcrowded sidewalks, and long shifts for the police, who tried to manage the crowds and the resulting increase in shoplifting.

The police called this chaotic day "Black Friday," and the term caught on in local usage.

From "Red" to "Black": How marketing changed the meaning

For retailers, this negative connotation was, of course, not good publicity. Although the day was extremely profitable, "Black Friday" sounded like chaos and problems.

It wasn't until the 1980s that the industry managed to rewrite the story. An alternative, marketing-friendly explanation emerged, which is now widespread:

The theory states that Black Friday is the day when retailers finally move out of the "red" (loss) and into the "black" (profit).

This explanation is catchy and clever, but it is a later reinterpretation (a so-called "retcon"). The true origin of the name lies in the traffic chaos of Philadelphia, not in the retailers' financial statements.

Important clarification: What Black Friday is NOT

Persistent myths surround Black Friday, causing confusion—especially in German-speaking countries. It is important to clearly distinguish the shopping day from two other events.

Myth 1: The stock market crash of 1929

In Germany and Europe, the term "Schwarzer Freitag" is often mistakenly associated with the devastating stock market crash of 1929.

• The confusion: This crash triggered the Great Depression.
• The clarification: These are two completely different events. The stock market crash in New York happened on a Thursday ("Black Thursday"). Due to the time difference, it was already Friday in Europe when the news arrived and European stock markets also crashed. The shopping day has no connection to this financial crisis.

Myth 2: The false report about the slave trade

A particularly malicious false report circulating online claims that the name comes from slave markets where slaves were supposedly sold at lower prices after Thanksgiving.

• The clarification: This claim is completely baseless historically and has been exposed as a viral hoax. There is no evidence to support this theory.

How did Black Friday come to Germany?

Unlike in the USA, Black Friday is a very recent phenomenon in Germany. It was deliberately imported as a marketing event.

A pioneer in this was Apple, which in 2006 launched an online discount campaign under the name "Black Friday" in Germany for the first time. In the following years, more and more online retailers jumped on the bandwagon. By now, the day (and the entire "Black Week") is firmly established in German retail, both online and in city centers.

From shopping day to home theater season: What Black Friday means today

Today, Black Friday has evolved from a single day into a global, weeks-long online event. For many shoppers, the focus has shifted: away from small impulse purchases toward planned, larger investments for the home.

Categories like premium electronics are a prime example. Consumers often wait months for "Black Week" to make a significant upgrade. With modern UST (ultra-short throw) laser projectors, such as those from AWOL Vision, it's not uncommon to find discounts of up to 50% or more . For buyers, this is often the decisive moment to invest in a high-end home theater.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What are the origins of Black Friday?

The name was coined by the police in Philadelphia in the 1950s. It described the extreme traffic and crowd chaos on the day after Thanksgiving. A later marketing explanation reinterpreted the name positively: the day when retailers "write black numbers" (make a profit).

Why does Black Friday exist?

It marks the traditional start of the Christmas shopping season. Retailers use this day to attract customers with high discounts and to kick off their most profitable time of the year.

Who started Black Friday?

The term was coined by the Philadelphia police. The shopping event in Germany was initiated by Apple in 2006, when they introduced the American tradition to the German online store for the first time.