The day after Thanksgiving has become the day for shopping deals from HDTVs to toys to clothing and jewelry, shoppers are hoping to find the best deal. How did this day originate?

The name Black Friday became associated with the day after Thanksgiving in Philadelphia in 1966. It was originally used to describe the heavy pedestrian and vehicle traffic on that day. It started to be used more broadly by 1975. Some say that it is the day that retailers finally get out of the red into the black.

Black Friday wasn’t the busiest shopping day until 2005. Heavy advertising and sales have boosted sales over the years.