Black Friday has become competitive sport

by Katlyn Britt-Rankin, posted Dec. 7, 2011

Many people think of the day after Thanksgiving as "Black Friday" because it is considered the busiest shopping day of the year. Black Friday has a long history in the United States, but is becoming much more violent than what it started as. Thanksgiving has kicked off holiday shopping since the early 1900s, but the day after thanksgiving did not become known for its extreme shopping until later. Businesses have greatly shaped the way we view Black Friday.

In the early 1900s, department stores began to commercialize the idea of Thanksgiving starting the holiday season. Department stores had major sales and celebrations to commemorate the event in order to start holiday shopping. Most memorably is the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade which began in 1924. Macy's historic parade has become a cornerstone in Thanksgiving and holiday celebrations.

"I get up early and make homemade cinnamon rolls just like my mom did for me," said Georgia Akers of Riverton, Ill. "Everyone gets up eats cinnamon rolls and watches the parade."

In 1939, the U.S. had two Thanksgivings. Businesses during the Great Depression were desperate for income and begged Franklin Roosevelt to move Thanksgiving in hopes to extend the shopping season. Roosevelt agreed to move up Thanksgiving to extend the shopping season. Thanksgiving was originally scheduled for November 30, but Roosevelt moved it to November 23. However, Thanksgiving was not celebrated by many because of poor communication and the hasty switch. The lack of celebration did not provide the economic relief that stores were hoping for.

Black Friday is now providing the economic relief that department stores were hoping for during the Great Depression. Time magazine states that since 2002, Black Friday has been the biggest day of shopping every year, except 2004.

Thus far, 2011 has been no different. According to Comscore, a leader in digital marketing, online shopping totaled $534 million, up from last year 1 percent. According to MSNBC, Black Friday reached a record high of $52.4 billion and average spending per person rose to $398.62

"I always assumed Black Friday got its name from the profits of the stores, I had no idea it was because of the Depression," said Howard Jones of Lima, Ohio.

According to Time magazine, the term 'Black Friday' did not apply to this holiday until the 1990s. Black Friday was originally coined for the September 24, 1864, stock market panic set off by plunging gold prices. In the 1960s, the term began to be used to describe the profit businesses were showing. The repeated use of Black Friday to describe the crowds and profits of this unofficial holiday began to stick.

"My mom can remember when Black Friday wasn't near as of big of deal as it is now," Akers said. "She thinks we are all nuts."

Sometimes even horror stories fill the news after Black Friday because of the intensity of shoppers.

"My daughter got smacked, literally smacked," said Tammy Conrad, a Black Friday shopper and adviser in the MU department of nutrition and exercise physiology. "Some lady pulled her hair and smacked her from a skillet. Seriously, what have we come to?"

Conrad's story is not uncommon during Black Friday shopping and unfortunately is nothing compared to some of the stories that fill the news. In 2008, a Walmart greeter was trampled to death because of the fast and furious mob of people that poured into the store. Also in 2008, an eight months pregnant woman was hit so hard that she miscarried her baby. One woman was even paralyzed in efforts to receive $100 off of a laptop. Black Friday gives people an excuse to act unreasonably to save money at all costs.

"I get into it," said Toyna Mirts, Hickman High School basketball coach. "I block people out, I push my way through the crowds."

"She's not kidding," Doug Mirts, husband of Toyna Mirts, said. "I refuse to shop with her on Black Friday."

Black Friday has evolved into a wild holiday that kicks the holiday season off with a bang. Black Friday may not have always been the ordeal it is now, but it has turned into an accident-prone shopping spree. A holiday that originated in hopes to keep businesses afloat during the Great Depression is escalating to new heights every year.

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