You'd think we'd have a fixed date for the biggest shopping day of the year by now. We don't.
If you are trying to figure out what date is Black Friday for 2026, mark your calendar for November 27. It is always the day immediately following Thanksgiving, which lands on the fourth Thursday of November. Simple, right? Well, sort of. Because the calendar shifts every year, the actual date of Black Friday can range anywhere from November 23 to November 29.
In 2026, it hits right on the 27th, giving us a slightly shorter-than-average window between the big turkey dinner and the December holidays.
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The Math Behind What Date is Black Friday
Most people assume "the day after Thanksgiving" is just a casual tradition. It’s actually baked into federal law—at least the Thanksgiving part is. Back in 1941, Congress officially declared Thanksgiving as the fourth Thursday in November. They did this specifically to prevent the "Franksgiving" confusion of 1939, where President Franklin D. Roosevelt tried to move the holiday up a week to give retailers more time to sell stuff during the Great Depression.
People hated it.
Since Thanksgiving moves, Black Friday moves with it. To figure out the date yourself without Googling it every year, just find the fourth Thursday of November on your calendar and hop one day forward. If November starts on a Friday, you’re looking at a late Black Friday. If it starts on a Thursday, the sales hit early.
Upcoming Black Friday Dates to Track
- 2026: November 27
- 2027: November 26
- 2028: November 24
It’s a moving target. Honestly, it makes planning your PTO or your budget a bit of a headache if you don't look ahead.
Why the Date Actually Matters More Than You Think
The specific what date is Black Friday lands on dictates the entire rhythm of the American economy for two months. Retailers look at the "shopping window"—the number of days between Black Friday and Christmas Eve.
When Black Friday falls late (like November 29), stores go into a total panic. They have fewer days to hit their annual revenue goals, so you’ll see "Black Friday" deals starting as early as Halloween. In 2026, with a November 27 date, the window is relatively standard. Not too long, not too short.
You’ve probably noticed that the "date" is becoming a bit of a loose concept anyway. Amazon, Walmart, and Target have essentially turned the entire month of November into a "Black Friday Season." They want to lock in your holiday budget before you even finish your first pumpkin spice latte. But even with the "Early Access" and "Black Friday Deals All Month" marketing, the absolute deepest discounts—the doorbusters—still typically drop on that Friday morning.
The "Black" in Black Friday: A Quick Reality Check
There is a popular story that the name comes from accountants moving from "red ink" (debt) to "black ink" (profit). It’s a nice story. It’s also largely a PR invention from the 1980s to make the day sound less scary.
The real origin is much grittier.
In the 1950s and 60s, police officers in Philadelphia used "Black Friday" to describe the absolute nightmare of traffic and chaos that happened the day after Thanksgiving. Between the shoppers and the people flooding the city for the annual Army-Navy football game, the cops had to work double shifts and deal with massive crowds. They hated it. They called it Black Friday because it was a "black day" for law enforcement.
Retailers tried to rebrand it as "Big Friday" in the 60s to make it sound more festive. It didn't stick. Eventually, they just embraced the "Black Friday" name and slapped the accounting myth on top of it to make it palatable for families.
How to Handle the November 27, 2026 Date
Knowing the date is only half the battle. If you want to actually win at shopping this year, you have to realize that "Black Friday" is now a four-day weekend event that bleeds into Cyber Monday.
- Check the "Holiday Creep": Expect the first major price drops around November 13.
- The Thanksgiving Gap: Many major retailers like Target and Walmart have started staying closed on Thanksgiving Day itself. If you want to shop on Thursday, you’re doing it on your phone.
- The 2 a.m. Rule: For the truly limited-stock items (like the latest gaming consoles or high-end OLED TVs), the online "date" often starts at midnight or 2 a.m. EST on Friday morning.
What to Do Next
Don't wait until November 26 to start looking for deals. Since you know what date is Black Friday for 2026 is November 27, start your "Price Watch" list in early October. Use tools like CamelCamelCamel or Honey to track price history. Often, "Black Friday deals" are just the original price with a fake "discount" tag, and tracking the history is the only way to spot the real steals from the marketing fluff. Set your alerts now so you can spend your Friday morning sleeping off the turkey instead of fighting for a toaster.