What did Black Friday originally describe?

Black Friday originally described the day after Thanksgiving in the United States, marking the start of the holiday shopping season. The term was first used in the 1960s by police in Philadelphia to describe the heavy pedestrian and vehicle traffic that overwhelmed the city on that day. Retailers later rebranded it as a day for significant sales and discounts, emphasizing the opportunity for shoppers to get deals and for businesses to go "in the black" financially. This transformation shifted the focus from its logistical challenges to a celebration of consumerism.