What makes this Friday black when it comes to shopping?

I have recently learned that many people, including retail employees, don't know why this Friday is called Black Friday. I did some research and came up with some interesting facts.

The term Black Friday has been used for a long time and describes many things in history.

The Wall Street crash in 1929 was called Black Friday.

In 1940 Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi made a science fiction movie titled Black Friday.

Black Friday refers to an air battle between Germany and Britain in 1945.

Brighton, N.Y., suffered a gas explosion in 1951 called Black Friday.

In 2004 an Indian film about bombings in Bombay was titled Black Friday.

But now the most common use of this title is to describe the day after Thanksgiving. We deem this day the true start of the holiday shopping season. This is the period of time that retailers hopefully go from being in the red (which is the ink used to post losses in the books) to being in the black. Black ink is used to show profits. I guess this makes sense to many.

The term has a strange connotation to me. Black has always meant sadness, loss, and dark times. Why not call this Joyful or Happy Friday? Maybe even Frenzy or Foolish or Frantic Friday? Going from giving thanks on Thursday to jumping out of bed in the middle of the night just doesn't do it for me. There will always be another sale. There will still be quiet times to shop until Christmas. In sales you are taught to create excitement or create an event to get your customers attention. The corporate world has really done it with this yearly Friday event.

Many employees I asked say they actually look forward to the excitement and rush of this day. This is their chance at making extra money and being busy. The last few regular seasons have been slow and sometimes boring. Of course, none of the employees I spoke with have the very earliest shifts!

I also enjoyed the excitement of this day in my department store career. The greatest frustration is the customer getting caught up in the moment buying things just because they are on sale and spending more than they can afford. Make a list. Know what you can afford. Many people are still paying off last year's holiday bills, so think twice if you truly are going over budget. Don't start the new year in the red.

Remember the reason for the season. As a young girl growing up in the 1950s I loved this time of year. Even though I don't observe the Christmas holiday I always loved the excitement, warmth, and reflective spirit. The thoughts were of chestnuts roasting on an open fire, over the river to Grandma's house, and there being no place like home for the holidays. When did this turn into pushing, shoving, knocking people over to get the hot items that the retailers insist are must haves and in the middle of the night to boot.

I hope your Thanksgiving weekend is shared with people you love and that you give thanks for all the good things in your life. Make this a colorful and joyful holiday season filled with many wonderful memories. You always have cyber Monday to look forward to.

Barb Roether of Ann Arbor is a former personal shopper at a major retailer who now blogs about shopping for AnnArbor.com.