Black Friday announces the start of the Christmas shopping season and Good Friday is the day Jesus Christ was crucified for the sins of humanity.
Good Friday is a term used to honor the good that Jesus Christ did through his noble sacrifice and how he saved humanity from the burden of his sins, whereas Black Friday is a day when people celebrate the onset of Christmas and buy gifts for their loved ones.
Key Takeaways
- Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving and is known for its shopping deals and discounts, while Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
- Black Friday is associated with consumerism and the start of the holiday shopping season, while Good Friday is a solemn religious observance.
- Black Friday is not a public holiday, whereas Good Friday is a public holiday in many countries.
Black Friday vs Good Friday
The difference between Black Friday and Good Friday is that Good Friday is a religious holiday symbolizing the day Jesus Christ was crucified and Black Friday is a sales event where stores offer massive discounts at the onset of the Christmas season.
Black Friday refers to the Friday after Thanksgiving day, and it is the day that begins the shopping season for Christmas. There are various types of sales and promotional events, and it has been reported to be the busiest day for shopping.
Good Friday is a Christian holiday dedicated to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It is observed to honor the death of Jesus Christ, who, in the Christian religion, gave his life for the sins of humanity. It is on the Friday before Easter.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Black Friday | Good Friday |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | It is a shopping event with deals and discounts to promote shopping. | It is a religious holiday to commemorate the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. |
| Etymology | Called Black Friday because retailers used Black ink to show profits of the shopping season. | It is called Good Friday because it represents the Good Jesus did in making his own sacrifice. |
| Date | It is on the Friday after Thanksgiving day. | It is on the Friday before Thanksgiving day. |
| History | The term was first used in 1951 after workers called in sick after Thanksgiving. | The term has always existed in the Christian religion. |
| Holiday Status | It is a holiday in 22 states of the United States of America. | It is a holiday in 12 states of the United States of America. |
What is Black Friday?
Black Friday refers to the Friday immediately after Thanksgiving Day in the US. This day ends the Thanksgiving season and marks the start of the Christmas season.
Black Friday is very widely known as a day when retailers-both online and offline offer great discounts and deals on their products to encourage more shopping. Since 2005, shopping has been the busiest day in the United States.
Some sales that begin on this Friday continue until Monday, and that Monday is called Cyber Monday because of its name, a lot of technical products launch and go on sale that day.
Black Fridays name cannot be pinpointed to a specific date, it is a term that has evolved and adapted to common use since it was first officially used in 1951 in the journal “Factory Management and Maintenance” and referred it to the practice of factory workers of calling in sick and skipping work after Thanksgiving day so that they could enjoy a 4-day weekend.
Black Friday has adapted well to the modern online culture, and all over the world and online stores host Black Friday deals to attract more customers- A strategy that has worked well.
What is Good Friday?
Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the sacrifice made by Jesus Christ, who was crucified on this day for the sins of humanity. It is observed on the Friday immediately before Easter.
Good Friday also symbolizes victory over death since Jesus Christ was resurrected on Easter day and became the savior of mankind.
The term is heavily debated to have been misguided from the original term “God’s Friday,” where all that God had promised in the Bible came to reality, and Jesus Christ became humanity’s greatest gift, but it can’t be proven.
Most believe it is called Good Friday because it represents the end of all evil and leads to the rebirth of Jesus- A victory over all sins and evil forces.
It is a day of grief and fasting for the Christians as they mourn the death of their savior.
Although its etymology and way of celebration have changed a lot depending on the age in which the world exists, its core values have always remained the same.
People all over the world come together on this day with their various customs to end sins and help each other to make the world a better place.
Main Differences Between Black Friday and Good Friday
- Black Friday is a shopping event open to everyone, whereas Good Friday is religiously important only to the Christian community.
- On Black Friday, people shop for Christmas gifts and celebrate, whereas Good Friday is a day of grief for believers.
- The words have a different origin. Good Friday is arguably derived from God’s Friday, where God’s will came to fruition (According to Christian beliefs), and the term Black Friday was coined in the 1950s.
- Good Friday is agreed to be on the Friday preceding Easter, and Black Friday is on the Friday succeeding Thanksgiving.
- Black Friday is a global shopping event, whereas Good Friday is still localized to the US and regions with a Christian Majority.
- https://scholars.wlu.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1536&context=consensus
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/20932685.2015.1070681
Last Updated : 14 October, 2023
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Chara Yadav holds MBA in Finance. Her goal is to simplify finance-related topics. She has worked in finance for about 25 years. She has held multiple finance and banking classes for business schools and communities. Read more at her bio page.
Great explanation of the meanings and origins of these two days. A highly educational read.
This is very interesting to know, I appreciate the breakdown of differences between these two days.
I didn’t know the history behind Black Friday. This is valuable information.
The way this article presents the facts about Black Friday and Good Friday is commendable. Well done!
This is a very enlightening article! Thank you!
It’s fascinating to see the comparison between these two days, very good information here.
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Yes, I agree. Very well researched and detailed information in this article.