8 Things to do on Black Friday Besides Shop

The day after Thanksgiving kicks off the shopping season for many of us. There has long been the oral tradition that "Black Friday" is a termed used to refer to the day of the year when retailers see their accounting go from in the red to in the black and earn a profit. But I was surprised to learn that this is not the origin of "Black Friday"

In a 2015 article for history.com Sarah Pruitt shares the history of the day after Thanksgiving. 

In the 1950's hordes of suburban shoppers and tourist would flock to the city of Philadelphia on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Although they would shop, the main reason of the flood of shoppers and tourist was the Army-Navy game, held on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The term "Black Friday" was coined by the Philadelphia police to refer to the chaos that would ensue as traffic back up and cops had to deal with additional crowds and long hours. Shoplifters would find opportunity in the madness to make off with merchandise creating a headache for law enforcement at every turn. 

By 1961, “Black Friday” had caught on in Philadelphia. But it wasn't until about 1985 when the term became synonymous with the fourth Friday in November. And by the late 1980s retailers turned a day of headaches for the Philadelphia police into a positive spin of retail businesses turning a profit. 

If you are like me and prefer to avoid the crowds and chaos of day here are 8 things to do on Black Friday that don't include shopping. 

1.) Visit a State Park! If you're lucky enough to have sunny skies and moderate temperatures, spend the day outside and work off that second helping of mashed potatoes.

2.) Cut Down Your Own Christmas Tree! Create a new holiday tradition when you cut down your own live Christmas tree.

3.) Enjoy the First Lights of the Season! Check our CALENDAR to find out what displays are already lit or will have their lighting ceremonies over Thanksgiving weekend.

4.) Decorate Your House! Now that Thanksgiving has passed, crank up the Christmas music and begin the process of decorating your house. Starting the process now will make the holiday season feel longer, and you can take the whole day to enjoy it and get everything just so.

5.) Host a Christmas Cookie Exchange! Invite 10-20 of your friends and family members over for a fun party. Each person should bring 3-6 dozen cookies (depending on the size of the guest list) along with enough copies of the recipe for all the guests. Everyone will leave with enough baked goods to last the rest of the season.

6.) Purge Outgrown Toys and Books! Between Santa, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, teachers, and friends, many kids get a LOT of new things coming in. Sort through the toys and books in your kids' bedrooms and playroom to clear out whatever is broken, outgrown, or just isn't played with anymore. Donate what you can and throw away the rest ... no regrets!

7.) Sign Up to Adopt a Family! Give your children the gift of compassion in a very tangible way and make another family's holiday wishes come true too. You can adopt an entire family or simply donate one new, unwrapped toy.

8.) Plan Your Elf on the Shelf Adventures! Make your plan for your elf's grand entrance on the first day, and then come up with a loose plan for the remaining days or use our Elf on the Shelf Adventures & Ideas calendar to help you keep up with your elf all month long. 

Get a FREE kid-friendly event calendar for Long Beach-Oceanside-Rockville Centre and the surrounding towns full of festivals, holiday guides, activities, events, and more! Sign up by clicking HERE! 

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