After police have been called to larey supermarket queues to break up Black Friday scuffles, it’s safe to say that America’s biggest shopping day has now become the UK’s second biggest copycat day (remember Halloween?) because, well, shopping is fun. Right?
Police officers have been called to several Tesco stores and an Asda after people have reported scuffles inside the shops in London, Cardiff, Glasgow and Dundee.
Two arrests have been made, reports the BBC, and Tesco have deleted a tweet which had said, ‘You there – yes, you, looking at the screen. After a Black Friday bargain? We’ve got LOADS.’
Despite the scuffles, no-one has been injured.
READ MORE: It’s T-Minus Three Days Until Black Friday – Here’s Your Shopping List
What is Black Friday? See, in America, they have Thanksgiving on the last Thursday of November. The day after is always Black Friday, and just like the big celebrations over here (Christmas, New Year), every shop marks down their stuff the next day.
So Black Friday sales are normal and logical traditions in America, just like Boxing Day or New Year’s Day sales. But when’s the Black Friday sale over here? Well, there’s no tradition.
Unless you’re American or know an American who has bothered to make a turkey with all the trimmings, you’ve probably never celebrated Thanksgiving.
This means that, though you’re totally entitled to go shopping on Black Friday – it is, after all, the day after the last payday before Christmas – you’ve probably got no goodwill in your heart.
Plus, it’s unlikely you’re put off shopping by the big lump of food still lodged somewhere in your digestive tract because all you did last night was go to bed early in anticipation of shopping.
And, if you haven’t actually bought any Christmas presents yet, the compulsion to shop for the best bargains is probably a bit higher than on Boxing Day when you’ve already given everyone their presents.
Oh, and it seems Black Friday only really happens in supermarkets.
To borrow a phrase from the Americans: go figure.
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Picture: Rex
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.