Every November, Black Friday transforms shopping into a global spectacle of discounts and frenzied consumerism. While today it is synonymous with bargain hunting and retail euphoria, the origins of Black Friday are far less glamorous. The term once described financial disasters in nineteenth-century America, most notably a gold market crash in 1869. In the mid-twentieth century, Philadelphia police used it to describe the chaos following Thanksgiving, marked by traffic jams and shoplifting. Retailers later rebranded the day as a celebration of profitability, a narrative that spread worldwide with the rise of online shopping.

Now, Black Friday has evolved into a season of sales, extending beyond a single day and crossing international borders. The event thrives because it taps into modern desires for savings, excitement, and belonging, even if the purchases are often unnecessary. Retailers expertly harness this psychology, turning Black Friday into a ritual that blends hope, anxiety, and the allure of being part of a global phenomenon.