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

In fact, the real story is surprising and has nothing to do with balance sheets or historical disasters. We explain where the name "Black Friday" really comes from, why the literal translation "Black Friday" 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: "Black Friday") is the day after the American holiday Thanksgiving.

In the USA, this day traditionally marks the start of the Christmas shopping season. To draw customers into 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 was 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 being catastrophic.

The reason: the major Army-Navy football game was traditionally held in Philadelphia on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. This already drew huge crowds of tourists and shoppers into the city on Friday. The result was complete traffic chaos, packed sidewalks, and long shifts for the police, who were trying to manage the crowds and the associated rise in shoplifting.

The police called this chaotic day "Black Friday," and the term became established 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 was not until the 1980s that the industry succeeded in rewriting the story. An alternative, marketing-friendly explanation emerged that is now widespread:

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

Although this explanation is memorable and clever, it is a later reinterpretation (a so-called "retcon"). The true origin of the name lies in Philadelphia's traffic chaos, not in retailers' balance sheets.

Important clarification: what Black Friday is NOT

Persistent myths surround Black Friday and cause confusion - especially in German-speaking countries. It is important to clearly distinguish this shopping day from two other events.

Myth 1: The stock market crash of 1929

In Germany and Europe, the term "Black Friday" 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 took place on a Thursday ("Black Thursday"). Because of the time difference, it was already Friday in Europe when the news arrived and the European stock markets also crashed. The shopping day has no connection whatsoever to this financial crisis.

Myth 2: The hoax about the slave trade

A particularly malicious hoax circulating online claims that the name came from slave markets where slaves were supposedly sold more cheaply after Thanksgiving.

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

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

From shopping day to home cinema 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 buys and toward planned, larger investments for the home.

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

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 move into the "black."

Why is there a Black Friday?

It marks the traditional start of the Christmas shopping season. Retailers use this day to attract customers with major discounts and kick off their highest-revenue time of the year.

Who started Black Friday?

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