The shopping season that takes us directly into Christmas starts the day after Thanksgiving, when a crowd of shoppers invades stores all over the United States, searching for the best bargains the market has to offer.

It is commonly accepted that Black Friday represents the first day of a long month of non-stopping activity in stores in the United States, and in recent years in many countries around the world. What was a national tradition became, in fact, a widespread “fever” as both store owners and shoppers worldwide appreciate the opportunity the “Black Friday” gives them. Even if some do not know what the term means.

The story of this day has multiple versions, none of them “official”. The most common states that Black Friday contributes to keep stores on the “black”, meaning the record of profits on each company accounting ledger will be marked with black ink, instead of red, which means losses.

Black Friday, though, relates to more that the color of ink. Its roots go back to September 24, 1869, when the stock market collapsed. But, again, no one is sure of which story is true. Or maybe it does not matter. What everybody wants is to get that special bargain, to live the excitement of a day that, for some, meant months of preparation.

A single day initially, Black Friday became a “loooong Friday”, as it is now an event that takes some days, paving the way for Cyber Monday, another excuse for consumers to justify their role. According to a survey by the National Retail Federation, “nearly six in 10 Americans — an estimated 137.4 million people — plan to or are considering shopping during Thanksgiving weekend”. The numbers include in-store and online shopping from Thursday through Sunday. Black Friday is still the most popular day to shop across all age groups. On Cyber Monday, 36 percent of consumers plan to shop online, up from 34 percent in 2015.

Reasons for this shopping spree? Multiple. For example, if you’re a photographer or cinematographer,  the deals Filmtools has for 2016 are a good reason to be one of the 137.4 million people from the NRF survey. The suggestions here  are just a few of the multiple deals from Filmtools.