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When is Black Friday 2022? Also, why is it called that, anyway?
Friday is usually a bright day of the week. Most people are ending their work week and looking forward to having fun on Friday night and the weekend. However, that day means something entirely different for one Friday every year. It’s happening again with Black Friday 2022.
Black Friday has turned into one of the biggest shopping days in the US and other countries. Retailers cut prices to the bone on products like smartphones, tablets, PCs, and other electronics products. However, Black Friday meant something different when it originated many decades ago.
Not only will we answer what Black Friday is, but of course, we will let you know when Black Friday 2022 is happening. In fact, in recent years, deals have become available about a week before the actual date, and sometimes sooner.
Also read: The best budget phones you can buy
When is Black Friday 2022?
You may be wondering when Black Friday 2022 occurs. This year, it happens on Friday, November 25, 2022. It’s the day after Thanksgiving in the US.
Myths about Black Friday
There are a couple of myths about how the term “Black Friday” got started. One is that Black Friday is the date when many major retailers finally see a profit for the year. That’s sometimes called being “in the black” (instead of “in the red”) due to all of the holiday shopping that starts on that day.
Another myth claims 19th-century Southern slaveowners created black Friday. The myth claims the slaveowners could reportedly buy slaves on the Friday after Thanksgiving at a discount. Some people have used this myth as a reason to boycott shopping on that day. Thankfully, this is only a myth now.
The real origin of Black Friday
As it turns out, the use of the “Black Friday” phrase came about somewhat outside of holiday shopping. As posted by History.com, it was first used by the police in Philadelphia during the 1950s. During that period, the annual Army-Navy football game would be held in that city on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. That’s because Philadelphia was between where the Army and Navy academies were located. However, on the Friday before the big Army-Navy game, Philadelphia police had to deal with tons of tourists who came to the city to see the game the next day.
Many of those visitors would spend time in the city shopping in stores. This meant the police had to deal with larger crowds in those locations, along with a larger than normal amount of shoplifters. The police started calling that annual crush of people and thieves “Black Friday.”
The term was primarily used in Philadelphia until sometime in the 1980s. Around that time, retailers in other parts of the US slowly started using the myth of their businesses going into a profit for the year on that shopping date. From then on, we stopped using the term “Black Friday” negatively. Instead, it was seen as a time for both retailers and shoppers to celebrate the unofficial start of the holiday buying season.
The term “Black Friday” as a shopping event started taking off in the US during the 2000s, and since then, countries like the UK, Mexico, and Australia have all adopted it.
Will stores close on Thanksgiving 2022?
Until a few years ago, most major brick-and-mortar stores in the US shut their doors on Thanksgiving. They opened very early the next day to begin their sales. More recently, many retail stores stayed open on Thanksgiving to launch their holiday sales. In addition, other retailers now launch Black Friday-based price cuts online on Thanksgiving or even a few days before.
Due partly to the coronavirus outbreak, some major store chains closed their doors on Thanksgiving in the US in 2020 for the first time in several years. The same happened in 2021. We’ve seen a much more robust online presence for deals in the past couple of years. Some stores are still open, though, with all the safety measures in place.
While Black Friday is not an official national holiday, many states in the US observe the day after Thanksgiving as a holiday for their employees. This makes the Thanksgiving holiday a four-day weekend for a lucky few.
Related: The best budget camera phones
Other important discount dates
The whole holiday season is full of deals, but there are a couple of very similar events to Black Friday you should also keep in mind.
Of course, Cyber Monday, which features a plethora of online deals, takes place the Monday after Black Friday. You should also keep Amazon Prime Day in mind, which is Amazon’s version of Black Friday, but exclusive to Prime subscribers. We don’t know when that will occur this year, but Amazon Prime Day 2021 was June 21-22.
You don’t have to wait until these dates to find good deals. There are plenty of great offers popping up throughout the year, and we usually keep an eye open for them. We have a hub with all the best current deals, so check it out whenever you’re feeling like saving on tech.