This time of year is hectic for most families, trying to figure out what to do for Thanksgiving, or what to eat first, or for some people, where to shop first.

The lines begin to fill up, the anticipation rises, then everyone is in a mad scramble to get the things on their wish list for the Holidays. After the madness, things start to settle down, that is a taste of Black Friday.

Black Friday is the Friday following Thanksgiving, it is known as the “kick off” of the Christmas shopping season.  “Black” refers to stores moving from the “red” to the “black,” back when accounting records were kept by hand, and red ink indicated a loss, and black a profit. In the 1960’s, police scrambled and bustled trying to control all the pedestrians, and motorist. In a non-retail sense, it also describes a financial crisis of 1869: a stock market catastrophe set off by gold spectators who tried and failed to corner the gold market, causing the market to collapse and stocks to plummet.

Black Friday sales can be very dangerous at times, so make sure to leave the kids at home if you think they might get hurt, because that’s the last thing you want. Show up early to the sale, it helps for the long lines. So have fun and check out your local stores for any Black Friday sales. Most of all, be safe and have a happy Thanksgiving.