Black Friday is the big shopping day that starts the Christmas sales season. It began in the United States, but shops across Africa, Asia, Europe and beyond now run Black Friday sales too.
This guide lists every Black Friday and Cyber Monday date from 2026 to 2125. It also explains how the date is set, where the name really comes from, and how to tell a real deal from a fake one.
The short answer:
- Black Friday 2026 is on Friday, November 27, 2026, and Cyber Monday is on Monday, November 30, 2026.
- Black Friday is always the day after US Thanksgiving [1], and Thanksgiving is fixed by law on the fourth Thursday of November [2].
- So Black Friday always falls between November 23 and November 29.
- The popular story that the name comes from the slave trade is false [3].
- Research suggests most “Black Friday deals” are the same price or cheaper at other times of the year [4].
How the Black Friday date is set
Black Friday has no fixed date of its own. It is simply the Friday after Thanksgiving in the United States [1]. US law sets Thanksgiving as “the fourth Thursday in November” [2], so Black Friday always falls the next day.
- Earliest Black Friday: November 23.
- Latest Black Friday: November 29.
- Cyber Monday comes three days later, between November 26 and December 2.
How to work out Black Friday for any year
- Find the first Thursday in November.
- Add 22 days.
- That date is Black Friday.
For example, in 2026 the first Thursday of November is November 5. Add 22 days and you get Friday, November 27.
Why a moving date matters
Because Black Friday moves by up to a week, the time left before Christmas changes each year. When it falls on November 29, there are only 26 days until Christmas. When it falls on November 23, there are 32.
This is not a new worry. In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving a week earlier because he feared a short Christmas shopping season would hurt the economy [5].
Where the name “Black Friday” comes from
The term “Black Friday” was used for various financial disasters in the 1800s and 1900s [1]. Its shopping meaning came later.
The documented origin. In the 1960s, police in Philadelphia used “Black Friday” for the day after Thanksgiving [1]. Crowds of shoppers and visitors for a big weekend football game (the Army-Navy game) filled the city, and officers had to work long extra shifts [1].
Some fact-checkers trace the term back even further, to around 1951. Employers reportedly used it for the day after Thanksgiving, when many workers called in sick to take a four-day weekend [3].
The “in the black” story. Retailers later gave the name a happier meaning [1]. In business slang, “in the red” means losing money and “in the black” means making a profit. The story says Black Friday is the day shops move into profit. This explanation came after the original police use of the term [1].
The slavery rumor. A widely shared social media post claims Black Friday began as a day when enslaved people were sold at a discount. Fact-checkers have found no evidence for this [3]. The term first appeared around 1951, more than 80 years after slavery ended in the US [3].
The Thanksgiving shopping weekend
Black Friday has grown into a long weekend of shopping and giving:
- Black Friday: The main sales day in shops and online. In 2025, US shoppers spent a record $11.8 billion online on Black Friday, according to Adobe Analytics (a company that tracks online sales data) [6].
- Cyber Monday: The Monday after Thanksgiving, focused on online shopping. The name was coined in 2005 by Shop.org, part of the US National Retail Federation (a trade group for shops) [7].
- GivingTuesday: The Tuesday after Thanksgiving, a day for giving to charity. It started in 2012 at the 92nd Street Y, a community center in New York [8]. It is now a worldwide movement of local groups [8].
Black Friday in Africa and Asia
Black Friday is now used as a marketing event in many countries that do not celebrate Thanksgiving [1].
In Africa, the online shopping platform Jumia runs a month-long Black Friday campaign. In Kenya in 2025, it ran from October 31 to November 30, with discounts of up to 70% [9]. Popular items included smartphones, beauty products, home appliances and fashion [9].
In Asia, China’s Singles’ Day on November 11 (11.11) plays a similar role. It began as a day for single people and became a major shopping event in 2009 when the e-commerce company Alibaba launched an annual online sale [10]. In 2015, its 24-hour sales of about $9 billion were around four times larger than US Cyber Monday [10].
How to spot a real Black Friday deal
A study by the UK consumer group Which? tracked the prices of 208 products at eight major retailers for six months before and after Black Friday 2022 [4]. It found that:
- Only about 2% of the products (5 out of 208) were at their cheapest price on Black Friday itself [4].
- About 98% were the same price or cheaper at some other point in that year [4].
The study looked at UK shops, but the lesson travels well. Before you buy:
- Check the price history. Use a price-tracking tool or compare prices over a few weeks to see if the “discount” is real.
- Be wary of “was” prices. A crossed-out higher price does not always mean the item was sold at that price for long.
- Make a list and a budget so you only buy what you need.
- Read the returns and delivery terms, especially for online orders close to Christmas.
Black Friday dates 2026 to 2125 (full table)
All dates below follow the rule that Black Friday is the day after the fourth Thursday of November [1, 2]. “Days until Christmas” counts the days from Black Friday to December 25.
| Year | Black Friday | Cyber Monday | Days until Christmas |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Friday, November 27 | Monday, November 30 | 28 |
| 2027 | Friday, November 26 | Monday, November 29 | 29 |
| 2028 | Friday, November 24 | Monday, November 27 | 31 |
| 2029 | Friday, November 23 | Monday, November 26 | 32 |
| 2030 | Friday, November 29 | Monday, December 2 | 26 |
| 2031 | Friday, November 28 | Monday, December 1 | 27 |
| 2032 | Friday, November 26 | Monday, November 29 | 29 |
| 2033 | Friday, November 25 | Monday, November 28 | 30 |
| 2034 | Friday, November 24 | Monday, November 27 | 31 |
| 2035 | Friday, November 23 | Monday, November 26 | 32 |
| 2036 | Friday, November 28 | Monday, December 1 | 27 |
| 2037 | Friday, November 27 | Monday, November 30 | 28 |
| 2038 | Friday, November 26 | Monday, November 29 | 29 |
| 2039 | Friday, November 25 | Monday, November 28 | 30 |
| 2040 | Friday, November 23 | Monday, November 26 | 32 |
| 2041 | Friday, November 29 | Monday, December 2 | 26 |
| 2042 | Friday, November 28 | Monday, December 1 | 27 |
| 2043 | Friday, November 27 | Monday, November 30 | 28 |
| 2044 | Friday, November 25 | Monday, November 28 | 30 |
| 2045 | Friday, November 24 | Monday, November 27 | 31 |
| 2046 | Friday, November 23 | Monday, November 26 | 32 |
| 2047 | Friday, November 29 | Monday, December 2 | 26 |
| 2048 | Friday, November 27 | Monday, November 30 | 28 |
| 2049 | Friday, November 26 | Monday, November 29 | 29 |
| 2050 | Friday, November 25 | Monday, November 28 | 30 |
| 2051 | Friday, November 24 | Monday, November 27 | 31 |
| 2052 | Friday, November 29 | Monday, December 2 | 26 |
| 2053 | Friday, November 28 | Monday, December 1 | 27 |
| 2054 | Friday, November 27 | Monday, November 30 | 28 |
| 2055 | Friday, November 26 | Monday, November 29 | 29 |
| 2056 | Friday, November 24 | Monday, November 27 | 31 |
| 2057 | Friday, November 23 | Monday, November 26 | 32 |
| 2058 | Friday, November 29 | Monday, December 2 | 26 |
| 2059 | Friday, November 28 | Monday, December 1 | 27 |
| 2060 | Friday, November 26 | Monday, November 29 | 29 |
| 2061 | Friday, November 25 | Monday, November 28 | 30 |
| 2062 | Friday, November 24 | Monday, November 27 | 31 |
| 2063 | Friday, November 23 | Monday, November 26 | 32 |
| 2064 | Friday, November 28 | Monday, December 1 | 27 |
| 2065 | Friday, November 27 | Monday, November 30 | 28 |
| 2066 | Friday, November 26 | Monday, November 29 | 29 |
| 2067 | Friday, November 25 | Monday, November 28 | 30 |
| 2068 | Friday, November 23 | Monday, November 26 | 32 |
| 2069 | Friday, November 29 | Monday, December 2 | 26 |
| 2070 | Friday, November 28 | Monday, December 1 | 27 |
| 2071 | Friday, November 27 | Monday, November 30 | 28 |
| 2072 | Friday, November 25 | Monday, November 28 | 30 |
| 2073 | Friday, November 24 | Monday, November 27 | 31 |
| 2074 | Friday, November 23 | Monday, November 26 | 32 |
| 2075 | Friday, November 29 | Monday, December 2 | 26 |
| 2076 | Friday, November 27 | Monday, November 30 | 28 |
| 2077 | Friday, November 26 | Monday, November 29 | 29 |
| 2078 | Friday, November 25 | Monday, November 28 | 30 |
| 2079 | Friday, November 24 | Monday, November 27 | 31 |
| 2080 | Friday, November 29 | Monday, December 2 | 26 |
| 2081 | Friday, November 28 | Monday, December 1 | 27 |
| 2082 | Friday, November 27 | Monday, November 30 | 28 |
| 2083 | Friday, November 26 | Monday, November 29 | 29 |
| 2084 | Friday, November 24 | Monday, November 27 | 31 |
| 2085 | Friday, November 23 | Monday, November 26 | 32 |
| 2086 | Friday, November 29 | Monday, December 2 | 26 |
| 2087 | Friday, November 28 | Monday, December 1 | 27 |
| 2088 | Friday, November 26 | Monday, November 29 | 29 |
| 2089 | Friday, November 25 | Monday, November 28 | 30 |
| 2090 | Friday, November 24 | Monday, November 27 | 31 |
| 2091 | Friday, November 23 | Monday, November 26 | 32 |
| 2092 | Friday, November 28 | Monday, December 1 | 27 |
| 2093 | Friday, November 27 | Monday, November 30 | 28 |
| 2094 | Friday, November 26 | Monday, November 29 | 29 |
| 2095 | Friday, November 25 | Monday, November 28 | 30 |
| 2096 | Friday, November 23 | Monday, November 26 | 32 |
| 2097 | Friday, November 29 | Monday, December 2 | 26 |
| 2098 | Friday, November 28 | Monday, December 1 | 27 |
| 2099 | Friday, November 27 | Monday, November 30 | 28 |
| 2100 | Friday, November 26 | Monday, November 29 | 29 |
| 2101 | Friday, November 25 | Monday, November 28 | 30 |
| 2102 | Friday, November 24 | Monday, November 27 | 31 |
| 2103 | Friday, November 23 | Monday, November 26 | 32 |
| 2104 | Friday, November 28 | Monday, December 1 | 27 |
| 2105 | Friday, November 27 | Monday, November 30 | 28 |
| 2106 | Friday, November 26 | Monday, November 29 | 29 |
| 2107 | Friday, November 25 | Monday, November 28 | 30 |
| 2108 | Friday, November 23 | Monday, November 26 | 32 |
| 2109 | Friday, November 29 | Monday, December 2 | 26 |
| 2110 | Friday, November 28 | Monday, December 1 | 27 |
| 2111 | Friday, November 27 | Monday, November 30 | 28 |
| 2112 | Friday, November 25 | Monday, November 28 | 30 |
| 2113 | Friday, November 24 | Monday, November 27 | 31 |
| 2114 | Friday, November 23 | Monday, November 26 | 32 |
| 2115 | Friday, November 29 | Monday, December 2 | 26 |
| 2116 | Friday, November 27 | Monday, November 30 | 28 |
| 2117 | Friday, November 26 | Monday, November 29 | 29 |
| 2118 | Friday, November 25 | Monday, November 28 | 30 |
| 2119 | Friday, November 24 | Monday, November 27 | 31 |
| 2120 | Friday, November 29 | Monday, December 2 | 26 |
| 2121 | Friday, November 28 | Monday, December 1 | 27 |
| 2122 | Friday, November 27 | Monday, November 30 | 28 |
| 2123 | Friday, November 26 | Monday, November 29 | 29 |
| 2124 | Friday, November 24 | Monday, November 27 | 31 |
| 2125 | Friday, November 23 | Monday, November 26 | 32 |
Myths vs facts
| Claim | Verdict | What the evidence says |
|---|---|---|
| Black Friday is always the day after US Thanksgiving | True | It is the Friday after Thanksgiving, which is fixed on the fourth Thursday of November [1, 2] |
| Black Friday was named after slave sales | Myth | Fact-checkers found no evidence. The term appeared around 1951 [3] |
| The name comes from shops going “into the black” | Myth | This was a later story. The earliest known use came from police and employers [1, 3] |
| Black Friday is the biggest online shopping day of the US holiday season | True | In 2025, Adobe reported it as the season’s single biggest online shopping day [6] |
| Black Friday always has the lowest prices of the year | Myth | In the Which? study, only about 2% of products were cheapest on the day [4] |
| Black Friday is the biggest shopping day in the world | Unproven | China’s Singles’ Day has posted far larger one-day sales in some years [10] |
Bottom line
Black Friday always falls on the day after US Thanksgiving, so it lands between November 23 and November 29. In 2026, it is Friday, November 27, followed by Cyber Monday on November 30. The deals can be real, but research shows many are not the lowest price of the year, so it pays to compare before you buy.
Disclaimer: This article is for general education only and does not replace professional financial or consumer advice. If you notice an error or would like to send feedback or corrections, please contact us.
References
[1] Black Friday, Encyclopaedia Britannica
[2] 5 U.S. Code § 6103, Legal public holidays, Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute
[3] No, Black Friday didn’t start as the day slaves were sold in the US, Africa Check
[4] Only 2% of discounted products are cheapest on Black Friday, Which?
[5] Congress establishes Thanksgiving, U.S. National Archives
[6] Black Friday 2025 sets record $11.8 billion in US online sales: Adobe, Nasdaq
[7] Cyber Monday’s 20-year history, Technical.ly
[8] What is GivingTuesday?, VOA Learning English
[9] Kenya: Jumia rolls out Black Friday 2025 with up to 70pc discounts, AllAfrica
[10] Chinese singles drive the world’s biggest online shopping day, VOA Learning English
