Voi ştiţi de unde vine numele de "Black Friday"?

Am rămas surprins să aflu (ajutat de un link de pe blogul lui John Apfelbaum) că acest termen datează de prin anii '60, fiind prima dată utilizat de către poliţia din Philadelphia, pentru a desemna traficul infernal din zilele Sărbătorii Recunoştinţei. O firmă cu viziune (este vorba de Earl P. L. Apfelbaum Inc.) a ştiut să utilizeze termenul pentru a desemna o creştere semnificativă a vânzărilor, după cum ne aduce aminte Examiner.com. Astfel, un articol din presa filatelică a vremii (Martin L. Apfelbaum, Philadelphia's "Black Friday," American Philatelist, vol. 69, no. 4, ianuarie 1966, p. 239) citat inclusiv de Wikipedia, menţiona:

"JANUARY 1966 -- "Black Friday" is the name which the Philadelphia Police Department has given to the Friday following Thanksgiving Day.  It is not a term of endearment to them.  "Black Friday" officially opens the Christmas shopping season in center city, and it usually brings massive traffic jams and over-crowded sidewalks as the downtown stores are mobbed from opening to closing.

This year proved to be no exception -- especially at Apfelbaum's.  The pace was hectic and the traffic was heavy.  Here's a capsule report of how Apfelbaum's weathered "Black Friday."

All in all, "Black Friday" certainly lived-up to its reputation.  In fact it lasted for two days, with more of the same traffic and congestion the Saturday which followed.

Is this activity unusual?  A little.  But just stop in on any day of the week and you will see more action at Apfelbaum's than at any stamp shop in the world."

Uite ce mică e lumea!