Black Friday
In the U.S., we celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday on the fourth Thursday of November. We refer to the Friday after Thanksgiving as “Black Friday.” Black Friday is not an official holiday, but many people look forward to it as though it is.
Black Friday is the unofficial first shopping day of the Christmas and holiday season, and it’s the busiest shopping day of the entire year. To draw (attract; bring) people into the stores, retailers (sellers; stores) have very big bargains (discounts; good deals) that are often available one day only. Do you want a new TV for half price? Do you want a new sofa at a 30% discount? Do you want to buy the most popular toys of the season on sale? If so, you may want to get ready for Black Friday.
On Black Friday, many stores open very early in the morning, some as early as 5:00 a.m. Many people stand in line and some people even camp out (sleep outdoors) overnight waiting for stores to open. Some larger stores have started opening their doors at 12:00 midnight on Black Friday and staying open for 24 hours.
Because Black Friday is one of the busiest shopping days of the year, many people look to Black Friday as an indicator (something that shows what will come in the future) of how much shoppers will spend this holiday season. If sales are good on Black Friday, then business owners can be optimistic (feel hopeful and confident) that shoppers will spend a lot over the holiday season. If sales are not good, business owners know that they may not turn a profit (make money) this important sales season.
Personally, I have never shopped on Black Friday, mainly because I’m too lazy the day after Thanksgiving when I, like most people, eat far more than is good for me. I’m also not too fond of (having a liking for) crowds. However, I have known many people who have had more energy and patience than I do who have been able to get major bargains. So if you are in the market for (want to buy) a big present for yourself or someone else this holiday season, maybe you, too, can take advantage of (use for your own benefit) Black Friday.
~ Lucy
November 26th, 2009 at 4:35 am
Me too. I also hate any crowds and I usually dislike to go for a shopping and to keep standing too much time, whereas just browsing without buying anything. On the contrary, all women, especially one’s wife, enjoy very much standing for hours, browsing differents goods and even comparing different prices of products. I don’t know very well the real reason, but it is so.
Whatever bargains that there might be I just prefer to avoid packet places and in particular department stores and retailers. If I need something else, simply I go to the store and buy it and then going away inmediatly.
Anyway, a thing is my particular taste and another the reality, so and despite my preferences I will go like a good serf to buy a lot of stuff which, at least several of them, don´t serve for anything, whereas I will be complaining and so on, although doing it, and ultimately looking like a beast of burden, first to my car and then at home. But it is the life.
Best regards from Spain,
Julio
November 26th, 2009 at 5:29 am
Dear Lucy,
Interstingly enough, we have something of equivalenc here. But, here , we call it boxing day and it is not on till the day after Christmass day. It is called “Boxing day.”
The day on which retail stores, in particular clothing stores,slash their prices. All the products are offered at bargain-basement prices.So , if you have had your eye on something, but you couldn’t afford to buy it before simply because you are mature enough to live within your means( spend according what you earn); Boxing day is you day.
But, please keep in mind that you have to venture out a very icy early morning in lines that sometimes go all the way around the mega size retail stores.
I agree with Jeff on that; it does not worth the try
But, if you are a high tech junky , you might want to give it a shot because money back guranty you can find valuable eletronic products at dirt-cheap prices.
November 26th, 2009 at 5:37 am
Sorry,
I am with Lucy on that. It is intresting , normally femails go crazy on days like that.seems like English skills are not the only positive, unique atributes of our very own Dr. Lucy Tsc . Doc, indeed , you are one in a million.
November 26th, 2009 at 6:51 am
needless to say, I never go nuts on such occasions. However, I really want to know if you guys out there follow such traditionas at your home country. Please fill me in that sharing brings us closer , and makes us feel this blog like our second home
Maybe you do it in a more conventional way , or you follow something totally unorthodox and novel.
Hope Black Friday Eslpod team. hope you are in black to go shopping spree , and you are in pink to stand standing in line
November 26th, 2009 at 6:54 am
Happy Black Friday
November 26th, 2009 at 8:12 am
Sorry ,guys
I m at work commenting(LoL)
While writing something came up that made me totally beside myself,so I put down standing in line rathe than in lines.
My boss caught me testing you. The thing is Christmass time is closing in , and my boss is dwaling with a huge workload.between you and me, when things don’t go smoothly around here , he becomes bossy and crancky.
I m not bad mounthing but he is very self-rightoues( thinks everything he says is right).He totally ignores the fact that everybody entitles to their openions.
The other day , he out of no where, dropped to big projects on my lap with two weeks dead line
However, I got busted , and I believe I m in huge trouble. I am guessing somebody has ratted me out around here.wait till I lay my hands on them
Sorry guys , didn’t me to get too personal
November 26th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
As usually I don´t know what to say about this item, only that here there isn´t a black friday as in USA, but just from now till the end
of the Christmas everybody looks crazy thinking about what to buy as gifts to friends, family or whichever person you want to be
nice.
The big problem is WHAT ?
Before the Crisis every day was a black friday to the big Stores as they sold and sold without any discount at all. The discounts officially begin a day after the six of January, this January six is a feast here because to christians it´s supposed that the three Kings went
to Belen to give their presents to the God Child, so usually parents, grandfathers and friends give to the children, the relatives or the
Friends all kinds of gifts.
But know?….no body knows what is going to happen. Black or Red numbers?. How millions of people are going to buy gifts?
It should be a thermometer to see how the Crisis is going on.
To me as much I see lots of people buying things the less I want to buy anything. That´s my rule now, may be because I know how hard life is going to buy everyday the food, clothes and paying so much bills.
Before I did not buy any home supplies, was Cuca who did it, so it was easy to fell in the river and let me guide by the stream, and just doing what everybody did, buying lot of things just for pleasure or for giving each person I knew a present.
Now I can see things with a cold mind and I prefer to stay out the river, on the shore, seeing people buying and buying things that
in fact they don´t need at all.
Have a nice black friday to all that want to buy something special or cheaper, but sorry I am not going to do it.
November 26th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
My last posting is awful, sorry I didn’t feel myself
November 27th, 2009 at 1:24 am
.I showed a poor judgement and chugged a large cup of joe late in the evening.there you go, it is 4:00 A.M. , and I am wide awake , where as , everybody is sound asleep.
It is pouring down here. Seems like The on going golbal climate change has changed a fall season to the monsoon here.seems like the mother nature is doing it’s utmost to balance itself out.
However, it is not the point , the point is , while we are on the subject ,I want to mention the term “door pusher”
Which is totally related to the topic at hand
I highly dought it , but rumor has it that the term reffers to the items( piece of clothing) that you put in the retail store windows to lure the customs in on the occasions like Black Friday , Boxing day ,or whatever you kids call it these days.
I really want to know ; the term totally intrested me.Is there any body out there who has heard it. Perhaps, we could take it up on our dear prof Lucy and urge her to answer this very question.
Yours
Peter
P.S. No mean to put you out Lucy. I am just curious.By the way,if you wanna know, I burried the hatch with my boss, a tentative solution,of course.
November 27th, 2009 at 3:10 am
Well Peter sometimes you write so similar at your way of speaking that it is difficult in my case to understand you as good as I would
like. Have in mind that English is not my/our daily form of speaking, and we don´t know enough about this language, the one you
speak every day? I suppose.
Don´t worry about you personal feelings, or to talk about daily problems, I do always the same in the Blog as I say so many times “it is like a kind of therapy to me”….The same for you I think.
Being in touch with the bloggers friends is a real relax and a great pleasure always.
Regards. emiliano
November 27th, 2009 at 6:58 am
So, why is called “Black friday”?
I heard once that it’s because the businesses get out from “red numbers” (negative economic results) and go into “black numbers” (positive economic results), due to the increase in sales.
Is that true?
PS: I want that kind of bargains here, in Argentina!!
November 27th, 2009 at 7:09 am
Dear Jeff and Lucy,
On my way over to work this morning , I listened to you discuss the terminology regarding lament and sorrow.Very educational , I gained alot.
If I am allowed, I am willing to throw In some more terms Thant I personally think does not do anybody any harm and they are I think very practical.
The first and formost is :
Pall bearer that refers to the people who carry the coffine, mostly close family of the deceased
Second is:
The funeral procession who’s is a group of vehicle or people following the hearse ( the vehicle that carries the corpse to the burrial location)
The last but not the least is crematorioum which is the place where the dead body cremate , and it is privetly run
God bless us all
November 27th, 2009 at 8:05 am
I will love to go shopping on Black Friday. My sister is now in Camarillo City buying beautiful things and I am here thinking – I would like to be in California now! .
November 27th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Good point Emiliano,
I just got to ur comment. Sorry, I m crazy bussy at work. Bad thing is I don’t get anything extra because it is a salary based profession. However, I read the comment through.
It is true my friend . My writing is awful and my spelling sucks. But, please note that writing is an skill , but speaking is not
Unfortunatly , I don’t have a flair for writing.let me tell you that it is not just my problem but the majority of people here. Writing is an art that is not easy to learn.
Sorry for all the shortcomngs my friend.
At the end I want to add that learning English is one thing ,and living it is something else. According my experience , native speakers have neither patience nor time to have a lengthy conversation with one another.almost all of them making it quick. They talk fast and use short sentenses.
I strongly believe, the way Jeff and Lucy comunicate with us is for educational purposes.I don’t think it is the way they interact in a social setting.
Believe you me all I mentioned didn’t hit my stride till my thirt year staying here
Thank you taking the time to read my comment . I always read your comment and I must say I have learnt a lot from you both culturally and linguestically.
One more time sorry if I am not a good writer
November 27th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Seriously, Lucy, why Black Friday?
I heard of Black Friday on the news as well . There was another interesting news report about Obama keeping one big turkey from slaughtering. The field reporter said it is a custom that every year on Thanks giving day the US president saves one turkey’e life.
What is the story Lucy ? It must be interesting
The turkey was humongous and was put inside a huge basket on the top of a table laid right at the white house out front. Mr. President was touching its head as an indication of blessing I suppose.
November 27th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
US President
November 27th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
Not at all Peter, don´t be sorry as you have a very spontaneous way of writing that to me is really interesting and I would like to
understand it better as you use words that I think are common used when you talk with your friends or fellows at work.
Yes, it is really very difficult to understand all types of accents in the English talking, it depends of so many things that sometimes
I can follows perfectly well a person and nearly nothing to another, and frequently I think if in spanish my language happens just
the same like in english, I think No, but who knows?.
Andres, yes, you are wright, it is so.
I think Jeff explained it to us last year when he wrote in the Blog about Thanks Giving Day and I think I know it just for his
explanation, but with my not good memory I am not sure if it was in the Blog or in his lessons.
Well, enough, only that I would like to be in New York buying some nice things like a kindle, just as Magda says, but I am here tired of listening to our Government and Opposition saying and doing such a lot of silly and unfair things every day that can´t support them any more.
I am so fed up with all what is happening here in Spain that I would like to be in New York buying or admiring the land in Irkutsk (Siberia) despite the cold wether.
November 28th, 2009 at 12:20 am
Hi!
My last purchase was an Amazon’ Kindle ( Kindle+shipping+Italy’tax: € 240,00)
I bought it because I like reading and it was an hassle going to the nearer city to buy English books.
With it I can download books from my bed.
The first book I downloaded was Alice in Wonderland and obviously the first thing I did with it was
loading the device with the learning guides of E.S.L. Pod.
I must admit though that one has to get used to it. One gets a strange feeling from reading on a electronic device like that
and books lover could be disappointed with it.
Bye! It is always a pleasure reading from you all
November 28th, 2009 at 7:27 am
Daniele, I saw the Amazon´s kindle a year or more ago, but then was impossible buying it to Europe. Now it is and I am thinking about having one, but I have my doubts about the way of sending it by mail (it´s different that to send books or similar) and how much taxes I have to pay once the kindle is here, in the mail office.
Tell me if it is easy to manage it and if you have to connect the gadget to the p.c. or you need wifi, or it´s not necessary.
Next Sunday 29th it vill be my birthday, tomorrow in fact, and I have this gift in mind, but I would like to be better informed about
it.
Yes, I like it, it can be good not to waste so much paper and trees to make books or newspaper.
I think you can also upload mp3 and audiobooks?
A silly, very silly question, Daniele is a boy´s name or a girl´s name?
I have asked Cuca and she don´t know…….It is very estrange as she knows nearly everything I ask her for.
Thank you and regards. emiliano
November 28th, 2009 at 8:18 am
Hi ! Watching the news I saw the headline “Black Friday in the U.S. ” with the mention ” the biggest shopping day of the year , but how wide recession – hit
consumers would open their wallets was another question ” .
So the topic on “Black Friday ” is very good for us to understand better the news and the American style life .
We do not have a special day for holiday shopping season . All December is considered like the holiday shopping season .
All the best for you all ,
Tania
November 28th, 2009 at 8:34 am
Hi ! Emiliano , just curiosity ! You mentioned that your daughter bought an apartment . How much is (how does it cost ? ) an apartment in Madrid ?
Tania
November 29th, 2009 at 12:06 am
Hi! Emiliano
I got it this week, so I am not an expert.
I would say that it is easy to manage, you do not need to have wifi. I connect it to the P.C. to have the battery recharged
You know that we cannot put link here, so go to Kindle Wireless Reading Device (6″ Display, Global Wireless, Latest Generation)
on the Amazon site. There you can find all you need to know.
Keep in mind that for the E.S.L. learning guide in PDF format I have to send it via mail to the amazon site and I have it back after two minutes
on my mail converted in AZV format.
So, an English cafè is about 93 KB I have it back in AZV format 16KB.When I do so I can choose to get it on my Kindle wirelessly or via USB.
I warn you, fist time I read on it it was weird.
Sorry, last week I did not reply to you.I like Opera but I rarely listen to it.
I just own 1 cd The Barber of Seville recorded in the 1971(I was 1 year old) in London with a young Claudio Abbado. I really love it.
I am a male.
Well, Emiliano happy birthday! ciao! you all
November 29th, 2009 at 12:52 am
Hello Lucy!
I knew about Thanks Giving Day, but I’ve never heard about Black Friday! It’s cool when the shops are open 24 hr! I would be glad to visit US during this time, when you would have the opportunity to buy something you want with a big discount! Hope, next year my wish will come true….
P.S. Thanks to you and Jeff for your great job and help for us!!!
November 29th, 2009 at 4:23 am
Dear Tania, I can inform you quite well about this matter as I have been in four different apartments along the last nine years.
Also, as you said my three daughters have been in the same trance along these last period of time.
Same like everywhere the “Brick Crash” has been terrible in Spain, but here even more as there are hundred of thousand of
apartments without being sold. May be 1 million or more……..yes, it seems incredible but is true.
That, the “brick one”, is our big crisis and very huge building companies have gone to the crash. I think that Banks have problems
to collect the many these companies debt to them.
May daughter Fátima bought one that is built with the help of the City Hall just for young people. So, the apartment is cheaper, much
more cheaper than usual.
It cost her more or less 100.000 euros with all charges and taxes, and have a big living-room, kitchen, a complete bathroom, little terrace and a bedroom only.
But if you want the same for free, without the financing of City Hall, or Madrid County´s Government, it should be cost about 180.000
euros, it depends of the Madrid´s zone. In a good zone it may cost double or more.
That´s now that the apartment´s prices have been going down along the last three or four years. Years before they have higher prices.
I can tell you that a friend´s daughter has bought one with two bedrooms (70 m2 more or less) and she has to pay nearly 300.000
euros with a bank´s mortgage of 35 years………..I think she and her boyfriend are mad, but it´s their will and nothing can be done.
Even, despite this high price the flat it´s not in Madrid´s centre, not, it is a surrounding new zone.
Madrid, Barcelona, San Sebastian, and other big cities here are very expensive.
If you want to live other cities or little villages the apartments are much cheaper, very much cheaper in fact.
Last year I have to sell one in the beach, near Alicante, where Cuca and me live meanwhile we have the new one in Madrid and I sold
it 48000 euros less that if I sold it three years before.
It was a big apartment 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a big terrace, Kitchen…..92 m2 and you very near the beach. You may sea Mediterranean sea from the terrace.
But we can´t go as Cuca has not a good health to travel, and we have to sell it despite it was not a good time to sell houses.
Any kind of question you have, please ask me, without any problem.
Today I am happy because it is my Birthday…..Sagittarius……just a boy only.
So you may give me your felicitations and I can send you a piece of virtual plum-cake.
Regards. emiliano
November 29th, 2009 at 6:56 am
Tania,
For ur information,
In Toronto , Apartmant condo prices vary from almost 200000$ to 2000000$ depending on the location and the size of the apartment, they are mostly one or two bedrooms.Pant houses are normaly three bedrooms.
If you are intresting in buying a house , you look at 400000$ and up.
To buy a property here , you should pay a down payment( 25 percent of the whole value of the house). For instance , if you are buying 500000$ worth of a house you normally should pay 125000 as a downpayment and the rest will be covered by the bank from which you are granted the loan. Buyers typically go
Through a long tedious process before they are approved for the loan. I mean , you must have a well-paid job,and good credit history and do lots of other paper works that I don’t bore you with. Eventually,If you manage to get the loan, there will be a fixed ( does not change)or variable( fluctuate depending 0n the economy) interset to it. Today’s interest in Toronto is rovolving around 2,l for variable and 4.8 for fixed .The interest accrual( goes up) is anything from .3 to .5 I believe. As you see, these days are the best time to purchase a house with variable interest because your monthly bank payment goes to principal
not to the interest colloected by the bank. To clear the matter, let say you pay 1700 $ every month for the loan you take out from the bank. Of this 1700
Some goes for the house and the rest is taken by the bank as an interest, the ratio is varied diectly by the interest rate.
Just in case , you want to know
interest collected by the bank.
November 29th, 2009 at 7:05 am
If you are interested , sorry, for the typo
It is wise to buy a house though,because the value of houses increase by 3% ever year. But , condo prices don’t go up that much
November 30th, 2009 at 5:31 am
Hi ! Thank you Emiliano and Peter . The same prices in Bucharest (our capital ) , too . The banks , the interest , the fees … everywhere the same .
Who can afford ?
All the best for you all ,
Tania
November 30th, 2009 at 5:46 am
Hi ! Our dear Emiliano , Happy Birthday to You ! We wish you happiness , health and good luck together with your nice family .
I like fruit , all kind of cakes with fruit . So , I would like a real plum- cake . Thank you for your intention .
Tania
November 30th, 2009 at 9:47 am
Dears Friends¡
In ESLPodcast 91 – Thanksgiving, from november 23, 2005, script by Dr. Lucy Tse, and speacking about desserts for this day, says: “My wife is not a big fan of pumpkin pie …”
Than my question: ¿ Is Dr. Lucy Tse man or woman?
Excuse me my tactless remark.
All the best for you.
José María, from Spain.
November 30th, 2009 at 11:05 am
Thank you Tania, and yes I have a very good cake made by a very good friend, Meli, who is also a fond of ESL and read nearly everything we write here, but she doesn´t write anything because she thinks it´s difficult for her.
The cake has a wonderful taste, more even when a friend make it and carry it till home, as she did.
Thank you Meli, you have now to write here, it is not difficult at all and everyone makes it the best we can, without any problem.
Jose Maria, you are pulling our legs, aren´t you?.
Our Dr. Lucy Tse has to be a nice girl, that´s for sure, only we have to listen to her when she is talking with Jeff in the lessons, and with her american accent she reminds me a nice american girl friend that I knew in Madrid when I was also a young boy……..one hundred years ago.
I can imagin her with some freckles on the face like the same nice girl I knew once, in my other life.
I like freckles so much that Cuca has some also and if she takes a little sun, she has even much more, it´s so nice.
Regards.
November 30th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Yes ,Tania
It is pretty much the gyps. It is a global trend .I mean, when it comes to housing trade the general trend is :an steady increase in the value of the lots and properties all over the world.
November 30th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
“The world is changing around us ,but our relationships remain constant.”
Very good saying,totally passionate, like it ,so decided to share it .
Sorry ,I know it is too much ,but lately,I don’t feel like myself.
November 30th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
Guys,
A crazy though just hit me. We should come up with a moto for Eslpod. What do you think of
“Eslpod is a blessing from the sky.”
December 1st, 2009 at 6:42 am
Dear Lucy,
You know better than me what you can find at retail stores on the occasions like Black Friday is a bunch of low quality ,out of fashion products. You never find a trendy clothhing ,or top of the line high-tech electronic begets at store. Ofourse, they put some in display windows, but they are just door-pushers .( if I am using it right), the rest is a pile of junk stuff. No offence ,but the first paragraph of the post may mislead a bit.
Guys,
Speaking of which the response for no offence is : none taken
Of course ,if you are not offended. If you are offended just go head and floor them. By that I mean, knock the block off the offensive.
December 1st, 2009 at 10:49 am
Emiliano:
I never wont pull the leg anybody.
Sorry and excuse me.
I have finish my question.
Perhaps am I a pretty old man.
Alle the best.
December 15th, 2009 at 6:25 am
In January the shops go on sale to seel everything that is discontinued or slightly damaged and the discounts vary on 30 to 70% in Brazil. We don’t have an specific day like in the U.S..
Nice blog, Lucy.
Thanks