Black Friday is an informal name for the Friday following Thanksgiving Day in the United States, which has been regarded as the beginning of the country’s Christmas shopping season since 1952. Although the term is used throughout the country, it is not officially recognized as a holiday. Many stores offer highly promoted sales on Black Friday and open very early, sometimes as early as midnight (or even on Thanksgiving evening). Black Friday is not a federal holiday, but California, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin observe the day as a state holiday for state government employees.
The day after Black Friday is Small Business Saturday, a day dedicated to supporting small businesses.