Naughts and Zeds is an ongoing series of posts on the differences
between language, culture, and everyday items in America and in Britain.
For a list of previous posts, go here.
Black Friday is a popular if crazy day in America. It's the day after Thanksgiving and is typically the beginning of the mad shopping rush leading up to Christmas. Stores have big sales and open very early. Some stores go overboard and start their sales Thanksgiving Night, which is wrong in all sorts of ways. The shopping experience is usually sheer pandemonium with people fighting over very popular and/or very cheap items. I generally avoid the situation since I don't like shopping anyway.
I was surprised to read in a local paper (back when I lived in Britain, boy this post is long overdue) that Britain has its own Black Friday. This is the Friday before Christmas. That night is the busiest night for restaurants, pubs, police, and paramedics. People go out for their office or work parties that night, creating a high demand in both good and bad ways. The night is also known as Mad Friday or Builders Friday. Mad because people indulge a little too much. Builders because it's the traditional day for building sites to close for the holidays and everyone takes home their last paycheck, or maybe they don't take it home directly. I general avoid the situation since I am completely ignorant of it!
Happy shopping to those Americans crazy enough to get up in the middle of the night to shop at Walmart!
Black Friday is a popular if crazy day in America. It's the day after Thanksgiving and is typically the beginning of the mad shopping rush leading up to Christmas. Stores have big sales and open very early. Some stores go overboard and start their sales Thanksgiving Night, which is wrong in all sorts of ways. The shopping experience is usually sheer pandemonium with people fighting over very popular and/or very cheap items. I generally avoid the situation since I don't like shopping anyway.
I was surprised to read in a local paper (back when I lived in Britain, boy this post is long overdue) that Britain has its own Black Friday. This is the Friday before Christmas. That night is the busiest night for restaurants, pubs, police, and paramedics. People go out for their office or work parties that night, creating a high demand in both good and bad ways. The night is also known as Mad Friday or Builders Friday. Mad because people indulge a little too much. Builders because it's the traditional day for building sites to close for the holidays and everyone takes home their last paycheck, or maybe they don't take it home directly. I general avoid the situation since I am completely ignorant of it!
Happy shopping to those Americans crazy enough to get up in the middle of the night to shop at Walmart!
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