Black Friday

Black Friday is used to describe the Friday after Thanksgiving, and I'm guessing this wasn't part of the original Thanksgiving feasts. This is when, maybe because lots of workplaces are shut, there are huge sales in the stores (although, judging from the brochures, there are always huge sales on, so I'm not sure of exactly how big, on a scientific measurable scale, these sales are). I am starting to get the inkling that people even queue up from early morning (like, 2am early morning) to be first in the door of shops. Actually, I have brochures that indicate that you can get into the store at 4pm on Thanksgiving Day, which just seems a complete travesty.
The name Black Friday has its origins in Philadelphia in the 1960s and 1970s - the police department used the term to describe the chaos surrounding huge crowds going to sales, and also to attend the Army - Navy football game. It is a huge time for retailers, as it is when shoppers fully turn their attention to Christmas. I wonder if it is a bit like the Boxing Day Sales in Australia, but you're not shopping for Christmas presents, but half price Christmas decorations and cheap summer clothing!
It goes without saying that we will not be in the stores on Friday.
PS - Have been told another story about the origins of the name - this is apparently the first weekend in the year that retailers accounts move into the black...