by Cindy Regnier
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
I’m feeling very blessed to be the blogger on this special holiday for 2020. We all know it’s been a tough year for our country, but dig a little deeper and find the blessings. They are most certainly there and a grateful heart just might be the beginning of change for the better. For now, while you’re enjoying the wonderful aromas and happy laughter of friends and family, let’s think for a moment about tomorrow. Just what is Black Friday and how did it start?
The first use of the term “Black Friday” in our country was not about holiday shopping but a common reference to the stock market crash in 1869. That’s 1869, not 1929. Until I started digging into it, I don’t think I even knew a stock market existed back then, let alone such a thing as a crash. Specifically, it wasn’t actually stocks as we think of them today that crashed but the U.S. gold market. Two notoriously ruthless Wall Street financiers, Jay Gould and Jim Fisk, worked together to buy up as much as they could of the nation’s gold, hoping to drive the price sky-high and sell it for astonishing profits. On that Friday in September, the conspiracy finally unraveled, sending the stock market into free-fall and bankrupting everyone from Wall Street barons to farmers. Just for the record, the 1929 stock market crash actually spawned the terms Black Thursday and Black Monday, not Black Friday, but that’s another blog.
Black Friday came into common use once more in the 1950s when Philadelphia police used the term to describe the chaos of the day after Thanksgiving when hordes of people flooded the city in anticipation of the big Army-Navy football game held on that Saturday every year. Philly cops had to work extra-long shifts instead of enjoying time with their families over the holiday. And you thought the football games were part of Thursday’s tradition…
And finally, our present day reference to the biggest shopping day of the year was coined by retailers. Supposedly, after an entire year of operating at a loss (“in the red”) stores would earn a profit (“went into the black”) on the day after Thanksgiving, because holiday shoppers spent so much on discounted merchandise. Stores started opening earlier and earlier on that Friday, and now the most dedicated shoppers can head out right after their Thanksgiving meal. Recently, other “retail holidays” such as Small Business Saturday/Sunday and Cyber Monday have come into being.
So, will you be joining the throngs of shoppers storming the malls tomorrow looking for bargains? Maybe you’ll spend the day relaxing and enjoying your family. However, if you work in retail you might very possibly be exhausted by the end of the day! Whatever your plans, I leave you with this final thought. “Only one Black Friday offers eternal savings and it didn’t happen in November.”
Rand Stafford isn't looking for true love. He'd ridden that trail until his fiancée left him with a shattered heart. What he needs now is a wife to help him care for his orphan nieces. Desperate, he sends an advertisement to a Baltimore newspaper and hopes for the best.
Fleeing her former employer who would use her to further his unlawful acts, a newspaper advertisement reads like the perfect refuge to Carly Blair. The idea of escaping the city, the intrigue, and the danger to hide herself on a cattle ranch in Kansas is her best shot for freedom.
But its sanctuary comes with a price—a husband. While marrying a man she doesn't know or love means sacrificing her dreams, it's better than being caught by the law.
Or is it?
Happy Thanksgiving! I've never indulged in Black Friday shopping. When I had children I tried to be done by Thanksgiving with the major holiday shopping. Nowadays, even before Covid I dislike shopping on a regular day so doing it on a day when stores are crowded and busy doesn't even sound remotely fun! I do know some people who love it and make it a family fun day. More power to them!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing Black Friday 2020 will look a bit different from the previous few. So many are not comfortable with crowds or even being in public right now. I'm with you, Connie. For those who choose to brave it, power to you!
DeleteMy husband and I were talking about this just yesterday! We couldn't remember what the reference was. Now I know. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Ane. Happy Thanksgiving to you!
ReplyDeleteThanks for such an interesting post, Cindy! I didn't know that about the stock market. I always learn so much from your posts.
ReplyDeleteI'm not much of a shopper at any time, so I plan to be home enjoying leftovers tomorrow. Happy Thanksgiving!
Same with me Laura. Hope you and your family have a most blessed holiday!
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