Black Friday Facts: 5 Interesting Things About How It Began

Many eager shoppers nationwide will power through their Thanksgiving meals to prepare for the long lines ahead of Black Friday. The annual celebration marks the unofficial beginning of the holiday season as many shoppers take advantage of the bargain deals boasted by name-brand retailers like Target, Amazon, Apple and Walmart, among others.

Former President Abraham Lincoln first declared in 1803 that Thanksgiving would be honored on the last Thursday in November, but the first recorded use of "Black Friday" didn't occur until 1869. The holiday that followed Thanksgiving, however, wasn't always associated with shopping. In fact, Black Friday's origins are a bit more complicated.

The Name "Black Friday" First Signified The Stock Market Crash

Black Friday didn't always refer to a national day of shopping. The holiday previously alluded to the stock markets crashing. Two speculators, Jay Gould and James Fisk, had attempted to corner the gold market on the New York Stock Exchange. But the plan backfired when the government stepped in and flooded the market with gold to correct the misleading error.

Franklin D. Roosevelt Bumped Up The Holiday

Thanksgiving was moved up from its original date by FDR in 1939 to accommodate shoppers. The move was met with criticism by shoppers, but retailers petitioned for the move to allow for more shopping time ahead of the holiday season. FDR realized that he made a mistake by changing Thanksgiving's initial celebratory date, but it was too late to fix the mishap because 1941 calendars listed the holiday's new date.

FDR signed an official bill in 1941 that permanently placed Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November.

Black Friday Became Bigger Through Thanksgiving Parades

Store-sponsored Thanksgiving parades, like Macy's, first signaled the beginning of the holiday season. During the parade, a man dressed as Santa Claus would declare that the holiday season has commenced. This signaled to retailers that it was appropriate to begin running advertisements for holiday shopping sales.

Black Friday Deaths Are Higher Than Individuals Dying Of Shark Attacks

Shoppers are more likely to die on Black Friday than they are from a shark attack. Black Friday resulted in the deaths of three Americans in 2016, including a San Antonio man that died in an effort to help a woman being beaten by fellow shoppers. There is a website, called Black Friday Death Count, that keeps a tally of all the reported deaths on the holiday.

The Holiday Attracts Larger Turnouts Than Disneyland and Disney World

Americans spend more time shopping and hunting down bargain deals on Black Friday than scoping out Disneyland's hot spots, according to reports. Walmart reeled in more than 2 million shoppers in 2014, whereas Disneyland in Anaheim, California, only brought in 16 million for the entire year. Disney World in Orlando, Florida, attracted 18.5 million visitors in 2014.