Why Black Friday sales get more annoying every year

When is black Friday? The obvious answer is literal. It’s the day after Thanksgiving, an American holiday where families gather to enjoy turkey and pumpkin pie, which this year falls on November 29. Still, Black Friday isn’t just a date, it’s also an idea. The day traditionally marked the start of the festive shopping season, when people started stocking up on Christmas presents. Today is the time of year when everything goes on sale. And figuring out when this begins is a much more difficult endeavor. In an attempt to find an answer your columnist searched her inbox for the earliest Black Friday discount offered by a retailer. The missive came in early October.