Black Friday

The day after Thanksgiving, the busiest shopping day of the year, is traditionally known as "Black Friday." One might conclude that this colloquialism has negative connotations, similar to the Great Depression's Black Tuesday. But one would be wrong. The orgiastic day of descent into consumption is not shrouded in any cynicism or dread. The "black" refers to retailers moving into the black for the first time of the year, on the way to end-of-year profit reporting.

Thus concludes today's lesson in soulless consumerism.