The Christmas shopping season began when stores opened early today to draw in bargain-hunters. When did the day after Thanksgiving become such a milestone? And where did the name Black Friday come from? The answers to these questions and more are at mental_floss today. Link
Nevertheless, Black Friday has become a disgusting pseudo-holiday, where the stupidity and greed combine to trample people, spend money that one does not have, and to spit in the face of human decency.