Traditionally, “Black Friday” refers to the day after Thanksgiving and the semi-official kickoff of the winter holiday shopping season in the United States. In modern times, however, traditions are meaningless and retailers have decided to just throw Black Friday sales whenever they want. Like July 12. Or even February.

If that sounds farfetched, check out this screengrab that reader Catastrophegirl sent us from her inbox.

Reader W. points out that Meijer is also throwing a Black Friday sale, but at least they’re clarifying what’s going on here and actually call it “Black Friday in July.”

W. also presents an interesting theory: the reason for this madness isn’t marketers who have run out of ideas. It’s inclusiveness. Not all Americans celebrate Christmas, but everyone can celebrate a retail frenzy.

My theory is that these are what used to be called “Christmas in July” sales, except that as America become more diverse and people become more hyper-senditive about topics that in any way touch on religion, the retailers decided that rather than possibly offend everyone who isn’t a Christian, as well as those Christians who find it offensive to use the birth of their spiritual head as a merchandising tool, they’d just start calling them “Black Friday in July” sales. Everyone knows what Black Friday is, and nobody really associates any religious connotation with it.

Okay, but that still doesn’t explain the February thing.

PREVIOUSLY:
Okay, Great, So Black Friday Is July 12 Now

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