Black Friday got its name from historical uses that predate shopping discounts. The most widely cited origins involve Philadelphia in the mid-20th century, where police described the day after Thanksgiving as “Black Friday” due to the chaotic crowds and heavy traffic as shoppers flooded the city. Over time, retailers and the media adopted the term to refer to the start of the holiday shopping season, and it also became associated with stores moving from red ink (losses) to black ink (profits) as they win business during this period. The exact origins are debated, with early uses sometimes described in relation to congestion and crowds, and later interpretations linking the term to profitability for retailers.