Do You Know What Today Is?

The day following Thanksgiving—commonly referred to as Black Friday—has become one of the busiest shopping days of the year in the United States. National chain stores traditionally offer limited money-saving specials on a wide variety of goods in an effort to lure shoppers into stores while offering similar deals online. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 39% of private-sector workers get a paid holiday, with 69% of public-sector workers also enjoying the day as a paid holiday It is a state holiday in Arkansas, California, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Washington, and West Virginia. In Nevada, the day is known as Family Day. In Indiana, the day after Thanksgiving celebrates Lincoln's birthday while Georgia observes Robert E. Lee's birthday The popularity of this holiday is understandable. As Thanksgiving falls on a Thursday many add this day as a holiday to create a four-day weekend. Shops are open and this day has come to mark the start of the Christmas shopping period. Black Friday is followed by other shopping holidays, including Small Business Saturday, which encourages shoppers to visit local retailers, and Cyber Monday, which promotes shopping online. Giving Tuesday has also emerged to spur charitable donations.