Black Friday shopping and spending statistics - Bemorepanda

Friday is the day with the biggest promotional offers this year. A unique chance that both customers and traders take advantage of because it is one of the most profitable days of the year.

 

"Black Friday" is a day that most people see as the beginning of shopping for the winter holidays. Black Friday is not, however, a holiday in itself, even if it is celebrated every year on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Let's see together with Bemorepanda some important facts of Black Friday.

 

When did the term Black Friday appear?

 

The term "Black Friday" appeared in the 60's, designating the debut day of shopping for the celebration of winter holidays. The adjective "black" refers to stores, which in this period went from "red" to "black", in the accounting organization, performed manually. In this process, the accountants marked in red the losses that the stores had, and in black the recorded profits. The beginning of winter shopping has been marked by this day since 1924, when the Thanksgiving Day parade, organized by the Macy’s chain of stores, took place on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

 

Why is it Friday and it's black?

 

"Black Day" is usually a day with negative connotations, such as a tsunami, a volcanic eruption or another catastrophe that occurs on a certain day and leads to many loss of life, such a day is remembered as "a black day in history." In a less catastrophic way, the name "black day" was also given to negative economic events that caused panic in the financial markets.

 

For example: Friday, September 24, 1969: The financial scandal caused by speculators Gould and Fisk on the American gold market caused a crisis with a wider impact, including on political life;

The Eyemouth Disaster struck on Friday, October 14, 1881, when a storm killed 179 Scottish fishermen in Eyemouth. The inhabitants of this settlement called the day "Black Friday";

On Friday, January 13, 1939, a devastating fire broke out in Victoria, Australia, killing 71 people;

On Friday, September 8, 1978, a real massacre took place in the Iranian capital, Tehran, surrounded by political unrest that eventually led to a change in the political regime.

 

Another superstition that brings to the fore Friday: the one about Friday, 13. There is no clear evidence of the date of this superstition or its origin, but Dan Brown assures us, in the Da Vinci Code, that everything has started from the Templars. The author claims that the French king Philip the Fair ordered the arrest of the Knights Templar and the abolition of this order on a Friday, October 13, 1307.

 

Why is it Friday?

 

In the United States, Thanksgiving (an autumn holiday that takes place after the harvest, like many other holidays around the world) is celebrated on the last Thursday in November. The Friday following Thanksgiving was a day off (non-working day), and workers had access to low-interest loans; In addition, retailers were subject to price reductions - all of these factors led to high sales volumes on that Friday for several decades.

 

Why is it black?

 

The explanation is that a lot of people went shopping that day, which caused congestion, traffic accidents and even violence. Another assumption is that it arose from an event in the 1960s in the American city of Philadelphia, when a lot of motorcyclists, but also pedestrians, got into an altercation with the police. That's how that day came to be called Black Friday.

 

From "negative" to "positive"

Today the meaning of this day has changed. It is currently a day that marks the beginning of the discount season. Now it no longer has a negative connotation, but a positive one for both sellers and customers, being considered a day of shopping.

 

The custom of making significant price reductions on this day is now widespread in many countries. Over time, traders realized that they could use this holiday to increase their profits. Thus, they began to grant substantial discounts to customers who cross their threshold, lowering prices even more than in the last days before Christmas.

 

Black Friday generally begins in the early hours of the morning, when the shops become real temples for customers who wait in front of them for even a few hours. Many of the companies invite people to cross their threshold, announcing their loyal customers even a few weeks before Black Friday.

 

For some time now, Black Friday has been taking place, more and more often, in the virtual domain. Those who want to take advantage of discounts order from the internet, so that they no longer have to wait in front of stores. In order to meet the needs of customers, large stores organize their activity in advance on websites and social networks.

 

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Shopping online is fun, easy and honestly addictive. Being a click away from the things of your dreams is, of course, cool, but before buying it is worth reminding yourself once again that you need to read descriptions and reviews in order not to end up with something strange. People from our article completely forgot about this rule and got burned on online shopping.

 

1. "Thank you, now I hate wolves"

2. "I ordered the wrapping paper online and it was a mistake"

 

3. "Be sure to check the size when buying anything online."

 

4. "I ordered this cutting board and waited 6 months for it."

 

5. "Do you think the groom will run away from me at the altar if I wear this dress?"

 

6. "I knew that my cat was a big boy and therefore I ordered the largest size for him."

 

7. "The air freshener that is sold on Facebook. This is a scam."

 

8. "I ordered this figurine online. It was supposed to be a cute Bulbasaur. Let's just admit I didn't get what I ordered ..."

 

9. "I ordered my boyfriend socks with his photo, but on the left toe is a man we don't know."

 

10. "I ordered a canvas for the wall, and I received a rag that can be worn, perhaps, in the form of a bandana."

 

11. "I ordered wet wipes online. Are you kidding me ?!"

 

12. "I was looking forward to the Chloe toy from The Secret Life of Pets, and such a bummer!"

13. "Can anyone tell me where I can shrink my head?"

 

14. "You probably think that I just chose the wrong size. But the size is okay."

 

15. "I will never order things online again"

 

16. "The dress for pregnant women turned out to be some kind of absurdity"

 

17. "Do they really think showerheads and wireless headphones are the same thing?"

 

18. "I thought it couldn't be easier than not messing with a silicone mask ..."

19. "Great prom dress. Very modest and conservative."

 

20. "Amazon, I hate you"

There are manufacturers whose unwritten slogan is the phrase: “Have you bought it? What a fool!" The owners of such companies absolutely do not care about customer loyalty and satisfaction, because all they care about is profit. In pursuit of money, they go for devilishly cunning tricks, the purpose of which is to save money on the product itself and make the buyer believe in something that does not exist. They manage to do this not only with food packages and other items, but also with electronics, and even with entire buildings! We have collected for you 20 dastardly goods and things, the manufacturers of which are clearly afraid of sunlight and crucifixion.

 

Mirror backing that makes you think there are three handles in the package

 

"I think the meatballs just asked for a window seat."

 

Fake side buttons on this mouse

"Thought there would be more cheese here."

 

Why not add concrete to the flashlight to make it feel heavier and better?

 

"A friend of mine bought this jacket because it had pockets ..."

 

"I was definitely disappointed."

Instead of four full bath bombs, the girl received four halves of two.

 

"Artificial flowers were stuck into a real cactus to make it sell better"

 

"Double deception in one product"

 

"So much plastic waste to make the jar look a little bigger."

 

Fake speaker in the column

 

A plastic bottle inside a paper bottle, the "environmental friendliness" of which its manufacturers are proud 🤦

 

Packaging design that makes shoppers think there is real fruit inside

 

"My parents bought a couple of 'hard drives' from Amazon and found that when you write more than 30GB to them, they just replace the previous content."

 

"A university in my country (Peru) built a fake wall to make it look like a 7-story building."

In the comments, the author of the photo wrote: "In response to questions from the authorities, a university representative said that this is" just a model for advertising. "

"Cool, big bottle of Provencal herbs ... What?"

 

A sneaky sticker that says the bowl is microwave safe, even though the bowl says it isn't

 

"I paid $ 11 for 3 of these pens"

 

"We arrived at the hotel, paid extra for a room with a large TV .."

NATO is the organization that has dominated military relations in the 28 member states on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean for more than six decades. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is one of the world's leading international institutions. It is a political and military alliance of 28 member states in Europe and North America. 

 

The alliance makes all decisions by consensus. Each Member State, no matter how large or small, is on an equal footing in the discussions and decisions taken. Member States are committed to respecting and promoting individual freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. These values are NATO's main transatlantic bonds.

 

You can read the 50 interesting facts about NATO below:

 

 

1. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is one of the most important institutions in the world. NATO is a military alliance of 28 member states in Europe and North America. All decisions of the alliance are taken by consensus.

 

2. Each Member State has an equal position in every discussion and decision that is taken. Member States are committed to respecting individual freedoms, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. These values ​​are extremely important in NATO's transatlantic relationship.

 

3. The alliance's primary responsibility is to protect and defend the territories of the Member States. Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty provides for a commitment to collective defense, and an attack on a Member State is an attack on the organization. 

 

4. However, Article 5 was invoked only once in NATO's 67-year history on September 12, 2001, a day after the World Trade Center terrorist attacks.

 

5. NATO has a permanent and integrated command structure, with military personnel from all member states. The Alliance has two Strategic Leaderships, Allied Command Operations in Mons, Belgium, and Allied Command Transformation in Norfolk, USA. 

 

6. Subordinate to these two strategic leadership are two joint command forces, based in Brunssum, the Netherlands, and in Naples, Italy, which are responsible for conducting and managing military operations.

 

 

7. The Command Structure also includes an Air Force Command Center (Ramstein, Germany), a Center for Land Forces (Izmir, Turkey) and a Navy (Northwood, UK).

 

8. NATO has a number of active permanent forces, which contribute to the collective defense of the Western military bloc on a permanent basis.

 

9. These standing forces include four navies, ready to act on the first signal. NATO also has an integrated air defense system, which maintains contact with the national air force and includes the missile shield.

 

10. NATO is taking part in several air missions in which Alliance fighter jets fly over the airspace of member states that do not have a military air force. NATO permanently defends the airspace of Albania, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovenia.

 

11. NATO benefits from military expertise from the 28 member states. This expertise includes tanks, submarines and fighter jets. When the alliance collectively decides to conduct a military operation, member states are called upon to place their troops and equipment under NATO command.

 

12. Soldiers taking part in NATO operations are collectively treated as "NATO forces", even if they represent multinational forces from bloc member states, and in some cases from partner countries or contributing troops.

 

 

13. The only military equipment that is owned by NATO is the AWACS air fleet. From 2013. NATO will operate five Global Hawk monitoring drones. The procedure for requesting troops and military equipment is called "force generation".

 

14. The 28 member states contribute directly and indirectly to covering the costs of NATO operations and the implementation of Alliance policies and activities.

 

15. But most of the contributions are indirect, through the participation of allies in NATO military operations. Member States shall cover the costs of operations whenever they agree to participate in such activities.

 

16. Direct contributions to NATO's common budget are made by member states according to a cost-sharing formula that takes into account national GDP. These contributions finance the costs of integrated structures, common equipment and NATO facilities.

 

17. In the five decades since World War II, the military alliance has successfully prevented an open conflict between the United States and Russia. 

 

 

18. Under the security umbrella offered by NATO, people in European states, the United States and Canada were able to enjoy the benefits of democratic elections, the rule of law and substantial economic growth.

 

19. NATO relies on a combination of conventional and nuclear military capabilities to deter the aggressiveness of third countries, and these remain a key element of the Alliance's strategy. 

 

20. Member States are also committed to controlling firearms, supporting the disarmament and non-proliferation of nuclear warheads.

 

21. NATO has often acted to maintain international security and peace. In 1995, the Western military alliance contributed to the end of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the implementation of the peace agreement.

 

22. In 1999, NATO put an end to the massacre and expulsion of ethnic Albanians from Kosovo. NATO troops continue to operate in Kosovo under a UN mandate.

 

23. Since 2003, the NATO presence under the UN mandate has assured the world that Afghanistan will never be a safe haven for terrorists again.

 

24. In 2011, NATO acted on a UN mandate to ensure the security of Libyan citizens. Alliance ships are fighting piracy off the Somali coast and conducting counterterrorism operations in the Mediterranean. 

 

 

25. Since February 2016, NATO has provided assistance to European authorities, who have had to deal with a large number of migrants.

 

26. NATO vessels are taking part in surveillance, monitoring and intelligence gathering operations to support international efforts to reduce illegal migration from the Aegean Sea. 

 

27. NATO forces have repeatedly delivered humanitarian aid, including to the United States, following the devastating Hurricane Katrina and the 2005 earthquake that hit Pakistan hard.

 

28. It faces threats such as terrorism, piracy, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and cyber warfare, which knows no borders. 

 

29. For this reason NATO has developed a global network of security partners, which includes 40 states around the world and international organizations: the United Nations, the European Union, the OSCE and the African Union.

 

30. NATO's mission in Afghanistan includes 13 partner states. Kosovo's operations are supported by eight partner states. In addition to partners involved in NATO missions and operations, the Western military bloc has developed a wide network of partnerships, including the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, the Mediterranean Dialogue Forum, the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative, and other partners around the world, including Australia, Japan and South Korea.

 

 

31. Any European state that can contribute to the security and principles of the Alliance is invited to join. However, accession depends on the decision of that state. 

 

32. Six times, between 1952 and 2009, a number of 16 European states chose to join the alliance and became member states. This process has helped to maintain peace and stability in Europe.

 

33. On 19 May 2016, Member States' foreign ministers signed a protocol inviting Montenegro to join NATO. Following the signing of the protocol, Montenegrin representatives may attend allied meetings as observers.

 

34. After the Allies ratify the protocol, Montenegro can become a full member of NATO. Currently, three states aspire to join NATO, namely Georgia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia.

 

35. The allies evaluate each candidate state according to its own merits. A wide range of political, economic and security reforms must be implemented before a state can join NATO.

 

36. Member States consult and make decisions on a daily basis on security issues at all levels and in a variety of areas.

 

 

37. A "NATO decision" is the expression of the collective will of all 30 Member States, as all decisions are taken by consensus.

 

38. Hundreds of officials, as well as civilian and military experts, come daily to NATO Headquarters to exchange information, share ideas and help prepare decisions when needed, in cooperation with national delegations and NATO headquarters staff.

 

39. 40 non-member states work with NATO on a variety of political and security issues. These states pursue dialogue and practical cooperation with the Alliance, and many contribute to NATO-led operations and missions. NATO also cooperates with a wide network of international organizations.

 

40. Partner States do not have the same decision-making authority as Member States.

 

41. NATO has always innovated and adapted to ensure that its policies, capabilities and structures take into account current and future threats, including the collective defense of its members.

 

42. NATO is committed to respecting the principle that an attack on one or more of its members is considered an attack on all. This is the principle of collective defense, enshrined in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty.

 

43. So far, Article 5 has been invoked only once, in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11 in the United States of America in 2001.

 

 

44. NATO is an alliance of states in Europe and North America. The alliance represents a unique link between these two continents, giving them the opportunity to consult and cooperate in the field of defense and security and to carry out multinational crisis management operations together.

 

45. The strategic concepts specify the Alliance's core tasks and principles, its values, the evolving security environment, and the Alliance's strategic objectives for the next decade. The 2010 strategic concept defines NATO's core tasks, such as collective defense, crisis management and cooperation-based security.

 

46. Membership of NATO is open to "any other European State capable of developing the principles of this Treaty and contributing to the security of the North Atlantic area."

 

47. NATO has what the Treaty calls the Accession Action Plan. It helps aspiring members prepare for membership and meet key requirements by providing practical advice and personalized assistance.

 

 

48. NATO benefits from the capabilities and expertise of its members. This includes tanks, submarines and fighter jets. When the Alliance collectively decides to carry out an operation, it calls on the Allies to place troops and equipment under NATO command. 

 

49. Personnel involved in a NATO operation are often collectively referred to as "NATO forces", these are strictly speaking the multinational forces of NATO member countries, and in some cases, it is the partner countries or other countries that contribute troops to these operations. 

 

50. The only military equipment that NATO has is a fleet, AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control) aircraft. Starting in 2018, NATO will also operate five surveillance drones, called the Global Hawk. The procedure for requesting forces and equipment for an operation is often called "force generation".

 

 

XI World Games will be held in Birmingham, Alabama (USA) from 7 to 17 July 2022. The games were originally scheduled to take place from 15 to 25 July 2021.

 

The decision of the International Association of World Games and the Birmingham Organizing Committee to hold the XI World Games in 2022 was caused by the postponement of the Olympic Games XXXII 2020 in Tokyo (Japan) to 2021. Keeping the original dates of the competitions would have meant the exclusion of many Olympic athletes and officials from the World Games and reduced spectator and media interest in the competition.

 

Competitions, as planned, will be held at 25 sports grounds located both in Birmingham itself and its environs.

 

The program will include 34 sports, 58 disciplines, 223 sets of medals will be played. More than 3,600 athletes from over 100 countries will take part in the competition.

 

Below you can find most interesting facts about World Games.

 

 

1. The World Games are held by the International World Games Association (IWGA), established on the initiative of the leaders of 12 sports federations.

 

2. The inspiration of the idea in 1980 was the President of the World Taekwondo Federation and a member of the International Olympic Committee, South Korean Un Yong Kim.

 

3. The Games were created to promote non-Olympic sports to the Olympic program and are held every four years. 

 

4. The program of the World Games also includes Olympic sports (rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline, rugby-7), but with their own non-Olympic disciplines (the exception is rugby-7, but this discipline has not yet been presented at the Olympic Games).

 

5. The first World Games were held in 1981 in the American city of Santa Clara, where 1265 athletes competed for 88 sets of awards in 18 sports.

 

 

6. The first winners of the Games in the team event were the US athletes, who won 76 medals - 27 gold, 26 silver and 23 bronze.

 

7. A total of ten World Games were held - Santa Clara 1981 (USA), London 1985 (Great Britain), Karlsruhe 1989 (Germany), The Hague 1993 (Holland), Lahti 1997 (Finland), Akika 2001 (Japan), Duisburg 2005 (Germany) and Kaohsiung 2009 (Taiwan), Cali 2013 (Columbia),  Wrocław 2017 (Poland)

 

8. In 2001, the World Games began to be held under the patronage of the International Olympic Committee.

 

9. Only four teams won victories in the team competitions - Russia (3 times), the USA (2), Italy (2) and Germany (1).

 

10. Only eight teams managed to get into the top three winners of the team standings. The leaders are Italy (6), Germany (5), USA (4), USSR/Russia (4).

 

 

11. Russia has three first team places. In The Hague-1993 was the 24th position, in Lahti-1997 - the fifth.

 

12. Russia has won the last three World Games - in Akita in 2001, Duisburg in 2005 and Kaohsiung in 2009.

 

13. In Duisburg, a Russian record was set for the number of gold medals won (27) and awards of all merits (57).

 

14. The national teams of Russia and the USA are co-authors of the record for the won gold medals for one World Games (27). The Americans installed it in 1981, our compatriots repeated it - in 2005.

 

15. The record holder for the total number of medals won in one Games is the Italian team, which in 1985 won 77 awards of three denominations.

 

16. The leader in the total number of gold medals for all seven World Games is the team of Italy (120). The Italians have also won the most medals of all three denominations (353).

 

 

17. The 2005 World Games in Duisburg also set a record for the number of sports included in the program (38, including 32 official ones). Akika-2001 still holds the lead in the number of countries participating in the Games (93).

 

18. Soviet athletes first performed at the 1981 World Games in Santa Clara. The most significant success took place in Karlsruhe-1989, where the USSR team took second place, winning 36 medals - 15 gold, 13 silver and 8 bronze.

 

19. The official program of the Games includes: parachuting, archery, billiards, bowl sports, bowling, canoe polo, dance sports, scuba diving, fistball, frisbee, gymnastics (artistic, acrobatics, aerobics, trampolining), jujitsu, karate, korfball, lifesaving, orienteering, powerlifting, roller hockey, roller skating, artistic roller skating, beach handball, racketball, rugby sevens, rock climbing, squash, sumo, tug of war and water skiing.

 

20. The demonstration program of the Games included: duathlon, softball, wushu and marathon canoeing.

 

21. Previously, the program of the World Games included former Olympic sports - Basque pelota, powerboating, cricket, croquet, lacrosse, polo, rocky. In addition, there were American football, golf, casting, roller ski racing, pesapallo, sambo, surfing, and floorball.

 

 

22. The World Games, first held in 1981, are an international multi-sport event, meaning for sports or disciplines or events within a sport that do not compete in the Olympics. 

 

23. The World Games are organized and administered by the International World Games Association (IWGA), recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). 

 

24. The World Games are held every four years, one year after the Summer Olympics. 

 

25. A number of sports that were part of the World Games program have been discontinued as they are now included in the Olympic Games programme, such as badminton, beach volleyball, trampolining, rugby 7's, taekwondo, triathlon and women's weightlifting. Other sports have been Olympic sports in the past (such as tug of war).

 

26. Some of the sports played at the World Games are acrobatic gymnastics, top notch, orienteering, karate, powerlifting, tug of war, fin swimming, squash, korfball, billiards, water skiing, and dancesport. 

 

 

27. The sports included in the World Games are limited to the facilities available in the host city; no new objects can be built for games. 

 

28. The official program of the World Games includes from 25 to 30 sports. In addition, the IWGA, in consultation with the host city, may invite a sport to participate in the "invitation" program.

 

29. In order to be part of the World Games program, the sport must become widespread throughout the world, and the specific international sports federation must be a member of the IWGA. 

 

30. Only the best athletes or teams may participate in each sport, as determined by the International Sports Federations. Most classes require you to qualify by placing first in a World Championship or Qualifying Tournament in order to be eligible to participate.

 

31. Badminton is the fastest racket sport: the speed of a shuttlecock can reach 270 km/h.

 

32. If you're bowling, don't try to knock down the pins as hard as you can. A bowling pin with a 7.5 degree deflection is enough for a fall.

 

 

33. Boxing was only legalized as a sport in 1900. Prior to that, he was considered too cruel and not suitable for the presence of the public. In the 20th century, boxing became the most popular sport in cinema.

 

34. It is noteworthy that the first hockey puck was a square shape! For a certain period they played hockey with round wooden pucks. A modern hockey puck is made of vulcanized rubber and weighs 200 grams. Before the start of the game, it is frozen so that it does not spring.

 

35. The first product of the Dassler family - the founders of Adidas - were sleeping slippers.

 

36. The fastest man in the world - Usain Bolt (Jamaica). Three-time Olympic champion of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing - in the sprint at distances of 100 and 200, he set a record by running these distances in 9.69 and 19.30 seconds, respectively.

 

37. In a Spanish second league match between San Isidro and Olimpico Carrante, a few minutes before the end of the game, the players of the two teams, dissatisfied with the refereeing, surrounded the referee to explain to him how to referee. And not only with words and gestures. In this critical situation, the referee, keeping complete calm, took out a red card and presented it to all twenty-two participants in the match.

 

 

38. Athletes jumping from a springboard on skis should not be wished for a fair wind - it only harms them. A headwind is much better, thanks to which an air cushion is created in front of the skier in flight, and he flies further. To start the jump, athletes are given a certain time, during which the coaches try to choose the optimal start moment, taking into account the wind. The change in wind during the course of the competition can make the conditions for the participants unequal: if the skier got only a tailwind, his chances for medals, even with the best technique, are sharply reduced.

 

39. The rules of horse racing state that the length of the name of a racing horse should not exceed eighteen letters. Names that are too long are cumbersome to record.

 

40. There are 336 notches in a standard golf ball.

 

41. Boxing was legalized as a sport only in 1900.

 

42. The only country to have participated in every World Cup is Brazil.

 

43.  The most popular sport in cinema is boxing.

 

 

44. In ancient Greece, the birthplace of the Olympic Games, all participants set their records naked, naked.

 

45. Contrary to a well-known misconception, in judo there are not 10, but 12 dans. True, not a single person was awarded the eleventh dan, and the twelfth was awarded to only one person - the founder of judo Dhigaro Kano.

 

46. In 1936, a hockey goaltender's mask was first used in Berlin by Japanese goaltender Tanaka Hoima.

 

47. Of the 51 matches held by Mike Tyson in the professional ring, he finished 21 by knockout in the first round (40.8%).

 

48. The weight of the table tennis ball is 2.5 grams.

 

49.The most popular simulator for the home is the orbitrek.

 

50.  After being hit by a professional volleyball player, the ball can fly at speeds up to 130 km/h. And with the help of a hockey player, the puck can reach speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour.