Deals, delights, and disasters — the origins of Black Friday

Hailey Heseltine ECB Publishing, Inc. Today's the day—the day after Thanksgiving, when millions of Americans will venture out into the retail world in pursuit of the best deals to be found year-round. Black Friday has been a staple of November for decades, marking the beginning of the hustle and bustle of the holiday shopping season. How and when did this annual tradition begin, and why has it become such a staple event of the season? Though Black Friday did not come into existence until the late 20th century, the tradition of the start of holiday shopping being signified around Thanksgiving is quite an old one. During the late 19th century, it was common for some retail stores to spo