(VOVWORLD) - As winter settles in and the year draws to a close, people start thinking about family gatherings and the holidays ahead. But before that reflective mood arrives, there’s another kind of excitement sweeping across the United States - the frenzy of Black Friday. It’s the day when shoppers, braving the cold, line up outside stores or refresh their computer screens for that long-awaited deal - maybe a new phone, maybe a kitchen gadget - finally marked half off. Decades after it became a symbol of American consumer power, Black Friday remains a fascinating mix of chaos and celebration. Today on Cultural Rendezvous, we explore this special day, with insights from John Kent, an American living in Idaho.
Despite the cheerful tone “Black Friday” carries today, its beginnings were rather bleak. The term dates back to the early 1960s, when police officers in Philadelphia began using it to describe the chaos that followed the Thanksgiving holiday. Large numbers of suburban tourists flooded the city to start their holiday shopping, causing severe traffic jams, accidents, shoplifting, and a general headache for the police, who had to work longer shifts.
It wasn’t until the late 1980s that the phrase took on a positive meaning. Retailers began promoting the idea that “Black Friday” marked the point when their accounts went from “in the red” to “in the black.” From then on, what was once a day of frustration became a nationwide celebration of retail and consumer enthusiasm.
And for John, that enthusiasm has always been part of the holiday spirit.
 John poses in front of The Bean (Cloud Gate) in Chicago, USA. (Photo: John Kent) |
“Black Friday is the day right after Thanksgiving. It's one of the biggest shopping days of the year in the US," John explained, "It started back in the 1980s, or at least that's when it became more popular. Retailers started to offer big shopping discounts and special deals to take advantage of the start of the shopping season and the beginning of a new holiday. I think one of the reasons Americans are so enthusiastic about shopping on Black Friday is that it just brings in the start of the new season. Everyone is in the holiday spirit, looking to get gifts and also looking to get a good deal on something that they think would make a good gift for some of their friends and family.”
John recalls that in his younger years, Black Friday was not just about discounts, but about anticipation.
“As I was growing up in the early 90s and 2000s, everyone would be awaiting the different advertisements coming in the mail and everyone would be picking through the deals and discounts to find what they wanted best. I would always find one or two items that I really wanted, and it would be a tough decision on whether I wanted to wake up at three or four in the morning to make the rush to get the next gadget before it was sold out,” he said.
 John at a shopping mall in Japan. (Photo: John Kent) |
Over time, the day became so deeply rooted in American culture that it found its way into movies — often portrayed through scenes of crowds running into stores or even fighting over televisions. And, as John points out, those depictions weren’t entirely fiction.
“The scenes in movies with crowds running into stores and fighting over TVs were definitely a thing back in the early 2000s, when everyone had to get in there and get their item. It was mostly a big rush in California and some of the bigger cities. We didn’t really have too much of that excitement in my hometown, fortunately, but the roads were packed, and everyone was out at 4:00 in the morning. It was pretty crazy to see that happen,” he said.
 People gather for a Black Friday event at the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue, USA. (Photo: JoeInQueens/Wikimedia Commons) |
Like many Americans, John once joined the early-morning rush himself.
“For me, the most memorable Black Friday experience was probably going to the store and trying to get one of the early iPod Touches when those were popular to play music. I had seen discounts for half off, and they only had a certain number available, so I had to be one of the first ones there in the store. We basically camped overnight outside the store in tents. There were a bunch of people out there all doing the same thing. It was a good time just interacting and chatting with everyone, comparing notes on what deals they were also looking to buy while sleeping in line outside the store. It was more of a crazy time, that’s for sure,” he recalled.
 People rush for the best Black Friday deals in Wyoming, USA. (Photo: Powhusku/Wikimedia Commons) |
Widely seen as the hallmark of American consumerism, Black Friday draws both fascination and criticism. The day is known for excitement, but also for the risks, from crowds trampling one another to heated arguments over limited products. Yet, as John points out, the tradition still carries a positive side.
“I definitely think there's some truth to the view that Black Friday shows how deep consumerism runs in America. Black Friday has almost become the symbol of how powerful the consumer culture is here in the US. Everyone is looking to buy or get in on the best deal instead of only buying what you need. The exciting experience really causes more consumption, but I don't think it's all negative. It brings everyone together to look for gifts to give to loved ones.”
By the 2010s, the rush to the stores was gradually replaced by a quieter, digital version of the same excitement.
“I definitely feel like online shopping has taken over Black Friday. In the Northern US, it is usually pretty cold out, and everyone is home for the holidays spending time together for Thanksgiving. Amazon has turned into one of the major shopping sites that people use for Black Friday these days. Amazon has gotten smart with separating the deals out every three hours, so it keeps people coming back and checking in on deals. I think it leads to more consumption overall. And then they also extend different types of deals throughout the holiday into Cyber Monday and even on through the rest of the week. It really just kicks off the holiday spending season. I don't think we'll ever see the rush to the stores that we saw in movies back in the early 2000s with Black Friday being mostly online these days,” he told VOV.
 Goods on sale at Trang Tien Plaza, Hanoi, Vietnam. (Photo: Phan Minh Tuan/Wikimedia Commons) |
Black Friday is no longer an American-only event. Retailers in many countries, including Vietnam, now join in by offering steep discounts to eager shoppers. According to Adobe Digital Insights, American consumers spent a record 6.1 billion US dollars online on Thanksgiving Day in 2024, an increase of nearly nine percent from the year before. That figure more than doubles what shoppers spent in 2017, showing that even as the chaos fades, the excitement remains strong.
“I think Black Friday will always continue to be a popular tradition in the US. It might evolve or change and look a little different between each generation, but it's always evolving. It started with lining up at the stores at five in the morning, and now everyone's doing shopping on their phones in their pajamas. It definitely will just constantly change, but the excitement of looking for deals will always stay strong,” John said.
So, what can we take away from the Black Friday craze? From its chaotic roots in Philadelphia to the online shopping frenzy today, it’s clear this tradition isn’t just about discounts, it’s about anticipation, community, and the thrill of the hunt. Consumerism runs deep, and the risks exist, but there’s also joy in sharing gifts and moments with others. Black Friday keeps evolving, crossing borders and going digital, yet that rush of finding the perfect deal? That feeling isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.