Why is it called Black Friday and where did it come from?

Black Friday was given its name as it is often the day that shops “move into the black” – meaning they have enough money to cover their costs, while reducing prices.

The sale falls on the weekend after the US’s Thanksgiving holiday.

Thanksgiving is a federal holiday in the United States that originated as a harvest festival and has been celebrated on and off since 1789.

Many non-retail employees and schools have Thanksgiving and the following Friday off, creating a four-day weekend and increasing the number of potential shoppers.

The weekend traditionally marks the beginning of the holiday season ahead of Christmas and New Year.

The Friday after Thanksgiving came to be associated with shopping in the 1950s, though didn’t gain the name Black Friday until later.

The tradition has spread elsewhere in recent decades, and is now marked in the UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden, and a growing list of other countries.

We’ve put together a guide on the Black Friday meaning and name, where you can read more about its origins.