In the United States, Black Friday refers to the Friday after Thanksgiving, which is the Friday after 22 November. As a result, the Christmas shopping season in the United States has officially begun. Several stores offer heavily marketed sales with discounted prices throughout the year, and some open earlier than usual, sometimes even on Thanksgiving. 

Since 1952, the day after Thanksgiving marks the beginning of Christmas shopping in the United States. There may be a connection between the practice and Santa Claus parades. Christmas is always the next major Christian holiday after Thanksgiving, so parades celebrating Thanksgiving often include an appearance by Santa at the end, with the idea that “Santa has arrived” or “Santa is just around the corner.”