What is the Difference Between Thanksgiving and Black Friday

The main difference between Thanksgiving and Black Friday is that Thanksgiving has a religious and cultural significance while Black Friday does not.

In the U.S., Thanksgiving is an annual national holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. Black Friday is the day following Thanksgiving. On this day, most stores offer promotional sales, and it is one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

Key Areas Covered

1. What is Thanksgiving 
     – Definition, Features
2. What is Black Friday
     – Definition, Features
3. What is the Difference Between Thanksgiving and Black Friday
    – Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms

Black Friday, Fall, Thanksgiving

What is Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day is an annual national holiday in the United States and Canada, celebrating the harvest and other blessings of the gone year. Americans celebrate Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November while Canadians celebrate it on the second Monday of October. In both countries, family and friends get together for a feast to celebrate the holiday. Thanksgiving feast typically includes dishes that are indigenous to the American continent. Traditional fare involves turkey, potatoes, squash, corn, cranberries (usually cranberry sauce), and pumpkin pie. Moreover, we usually consider  Thanksgiving as the beginning of the fall–winter holiday season.

Thanksgiving is considered to have originated as a harvest festival. Americans believe that it is modelled after a harvest feast shared by the English Pilgrims of Plymouth and the Wampanoag people in 1621. Today, this holiday is celebrated by Americans of various backgrounds.

What is Black Friday

Black Friday is the day following Thanksgiving Day in the U.S., which is the fourth Thursday of November. Since the 1950s, the day after Thanksgiving has been considered as the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. The name Black Friday, however, did not widely popular until recent years.

Black Friday is not an official holiday. Nevertheless, it is one of the biggest shopping days in the U.S., as well as many other countries. On this day, many shops offer massive discounts on various items, including clothes, toys, and electronic appliances. In addition to that, most shops open very early on Black Friday; some shops even start their sales on Thanksgiving Day itself.

The history of the name Black Friday can be traced back to Philadelphia, where this name was used by police to describe the heavy traffic that would occur on the day after Thanksgiving. This usage of the term dates to at least 1961.

Difference Between Thanksgiving and Black Friday

Definition

Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated as a day of feasting and giving thanks for divine favours or goodness, observed on the fourth Thursday of November in the U.S. and in Canada on the second Monday of October. Black Friday, on the other hand, is the day after the Thanksgiving, considered as the first day of the Christmas shopping season, on which retailers offer many special deals and discounts.

Occurrence

In the U.S., Thanksgiving is on the fourth Thursday of November while in Canada, Thanksgiving is on the second Monday of October. Black Friday, on the other hand, is the fourth Friday of November, or the day after the U.S. Thanksgiving.

Holiday

Thanksgiving is a national holiday while Black Friday is not a national holiday.

Significance

Moreover, Thanksgiving has a religious and cultural significance, while Black Friday does not.

Behaviour

On Thanksgiving, families and friends get together for a meal, which usually includes traditional dishes like roast turkey, stuffing, potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. However, on Black Friday, most stores offer promotional sales, and it is one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

Conclusion

Thanksgiving Day is an annual national holiday celebrated as a day of feasting and giving thanks for divine favours. Americans celebrate Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November while Canadians celebrate it on the second Monday of October. Black Friday, on the other hand, is the day after the Thanksgiving, serving as the first day of the Christmas shopping season, on which retailers offer many special deals and discounts. Thus, this is the difference between Thanksgiving and Black Friday.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Sliced of Cake on White Ceramic Plate” (CC0) via Pexels
2. “3753444” (CC0) via Pixabay