The day after Thanksgiving in the United States is frequently referred to as Black Friday. The origin of Black Friday comes from the shift to profitability during the holiday season. Black Friday was when retailers went from being unprofitable, or "in the red," to being profitable, or "in the black", at a time when accounting records were kept by hand and red indicated loss and black profit.

Black Friday is one of the major U.S. holiday shopping days. The day many U.S. consumers begin Christmas shopping. The day is heavily promoted by retailers, many stores opening as early as Midnight on Friday.