Black Friday (shopping) the holiday season, beginning on the day after Thanksgiving. When this was recorded in the financial records, once-common accounting practices would use red ink to show negative amounts and black ink to show positive amounts. Black Friday, under this theory, is the beginning of the period when retailers would no longer be "in the red", instead taking in the year's profits. The earliest known published reference to this explanation occurs in "The Philadelphia Inquirer" for November 28, 1981. In 2013, an internet rumor alleged that the phrase originated in the American south before the Civil War, from the practice of
Leap year starting on Saturday one Friday the 13th; The only Friday the 13th in this leap year occurs in October. Common years starting on Sunday share this characteristic, but also have another in January. From August of the year that precedes this year until October in this type of year is also the longest period (14 months) that occurs without a Friday the 13th. Common years starting on Tuesday share this characteristic, from July of the year that precedes it to September in that type of year. There are two other ways this 14 month interval can be formed, one involving a common year