Who it’s for: classrooms & homeschool, family parties, and livestreams/IRL events.
What you’ll need: printable cards or a screen, pens, a simple score sheet (download below).
How to use (Game Modes)
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Quick Mode (10 minutes): Ask Round A (10 questions). Fast scoring, no tie-breakers.
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Family Showdown (30–45 minutes): Teams of 2–6. Five rounds × 10 questions. +1 point per correct answer. Lightning tie-breaker.
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Classroom/Younger Kids: Read questions aloud; show a picture or define tricky words. Aim for Rounds A–C only.
A. General / Basics (10)
Q1. What is Black Friday?
A: The Friday after Thanksgiving in the U.S., often marking the start of holiday shopping.
Q2. Is Black Friday a federal holiday?
A: No—major retail event, not a federal holiday.
Q3. Does Black Friday fall on the same date each year?
A: No. It’s the Friday after the fourth Thursday in November.
Q4. What are “doorbusters”?
A: Deep-discount, limited-quantity deals to draw early crowds.
Q5. What’s the difference between Black Friday and Cyber Monday?
A: Black Friday began in-store; Cyber Monday focuses on online deals and remains the biggest online day. (news.adobe.com)
Q6. What is a “rain check”?
A: A retailer’s promise to honor a deal later if a product sells out (offered at the store’s discretion).
Q7. Are Black Friday prices always the lowest of the season?
A: Not always; some categories hit deeper lows on Cyber Monday or Super Saturday. (news.adobe.com)
Q8. What’s a smart crowd-safety tip?
A: Follow store guidance, avoid pushing, keep hands free, know exits—or shop online.
Q9. Do stores still open at midnight?
A: Some do, but many spread deals across days/weeks now.
Q10. What does BOPIS stand for, and why is it popular?
A: Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store—it secures limited deals and skips shipping delays.
B. Retail & Global Spread (10)
Q11. Which U.S. city popularized the shopping-related meaning of “Black Friday”?
A: Philadelphia (police slang in the 1960s for post-Thanksgiving congestion).
Q12. Who introduced Black Friday deals to the U.K. in 2010?
A: Amazon; other retailers followed in the 2010s. (TIME)
Q13. Which U.K. supermarket saw scuffles during 2013 Black Friday events?
A: Asda, sparking nationwide debate on U.S.-style doorbusters. (theguardian.com)
Q14. What day encourages shopping locally after Black Friday?
A: Small Business Saturday (launched by American Express in 2010). (britannica.com)
Q15. What charitable movement follows Cyber Monday?
A: GivingTuesday (begun in 2012 by 92nd Street Y with partners). (Blackfriday Statistics 2024)
Q16. Which analytics firm is widely cited for U.S. online holiday spending?
A: Adobe Analytics (daily/season recaps). (news.adobe.com)
Q17. Which group surveys the five-day Thanksgiving-to-Cyber-Monday shopper count?
A: The National Retail Federation (NRF) with Prosper Insights. (nrf.com)
Q18. What’s the last Saturday before Christmas called?
A: Super Saturday (a.k.a. Panic Saturday)—a major shopping day. (nrf.com)
Q19. Which global sale often surpasses U.S. Black Friday online?
A: Singles’ Day (11/11) in China. (WIRED)
Q20. Do other countries run Black Friday campaigns now?
A: Yes—many adopted it to compete with cross-border e-commerce. (Wikipedia)
C. History & Traditions (with years & sources) (10)
Q21. What non-retail “Black Friday” happened on Sept. 24, 1869?
A: A U.S. gold market crash involving Gould and Fisk.
Q22. When did Philadelphia police apply “Black Friday” to shopping crowds?
A: 1960s, for post-Thanksgiving congestion.
Q23. When did the “back in the black” profit story take hold?
A: The 1980s; retailers popularized it later than the police slang.
Q24. Earliest published reference to the “black ink” explanation?
A: A 1981 Philadelphia Inquirer reference is often cited. (Wikipedia)
Q25. When was “Cyber Monday” coined and by whom?
A: 2005 by Shop.org (NRF). (ABC News)
Q26. When did Small Business Saturday begin?
A: 2010 (American Express program). (britannica.com)
Q27. When did GivingTuesday launch?
A: 2012, created by 92Y with the UN Foundation & others. (Blackfriday Statistics 2024)
Q28. When did Amazon first bring Black Friday to the U.K.?
A: 2010. (TIME)
Q29. What happened in some U.K. stores in 2013 Black Friday?
A: Scuffles and police responses—especially at Asda. (theguardian.com)
Q30. What late-season surge day do retailers track after Black Friday/Cyber Monday?
A: Super Saturday (NRF has tracked it since 2016). (nrf.com)
D. Film & Pop Culture (with years) (10)
Q31. Which sitcom aired a 2016 “Black Friday” episode set in a big-box store?
A: Superstore (Season 2, Episode 10, aired Nov. 10, 2016). (nbcarchives.fandom.com)
Q32. Which cartoon’s 2013 trilogy satirized Black Friday & console wars?
A: South Park Season 17: “Black Friday,” “A Song of Ass and Fire,” “Titties and Dragons.” (Rotten Tomatoes)
Q33. Which 2021 horror-comedy is literally titled Black Friday?
A: Black Friday (2021), dir. Casey Tebo; stars Bruce Campbell, Devon Sawa. (forbes.com)
Q34. Which 2023 slasher opens with a deadly Black Friday riot?
A: Thanksgiving (2023), dir. Eli Roth. (letterboxd.com)
Q35. Which movement urges skipping consumption on that day?
A: Buy Nothing Day, popularized by Adbusters. (YouTube)
Q36. Did South Park’s Season 17 (Black Friday arc) reach awards circuits?
A: Yes—Season 17 received Emmy attention the following year. (deadline.com)
Q37. What parody frames the South Park arc’s tone?
A: Game of Thrones—turning console wars into medieval drama. (Rotten Tomatoes)
Q38. In Superstore’s episode, what adds to the chaos?
A: Staff issues and found-footage gags amid the Black Friday rush. (nbcarchives.fandom.com)
Q39. Who is the masked killer in Thanksgiving?
A: John Carver—terrorizing Plymouth a year after the riot. (letterboxd.com)
Q40. What activist offshoot riffs on the whole season?
A: Buy Nothing Christmas (spinoff messaging from the movement). (YouTube)
E. Odd Facts & Records (stats + sources) (10)
Q41. How many U.S. shoppers participated over the 2024 5-day weekend?
A: ~197 million—second-highest on record (NRF). (nrf.com)
Q42. U.S. online spend on Black Friday 2024 (Adobe)?
A: $10.8B, up ~10% YoY. (news.adobe.com)
Q43. Cyber Monday 2024 total online spend?
A: $13.3B, a new record (Adobe). (news.adobe.com)
Q44. Peak Cyber Monday spending pace (2024)?
A: ~$15.8M per minute from 8–10 p.m. ET. (news.adobe.com)
Q45. U.S. Super Saturday 2024 expected shoppers?
A: ~157.2M planned to shop (NRF survey). (nrf.com)
Q46. Which tragic 2008 event reshaped crowd-control protocols?
A: A Walmart worker’s death in Valley Stream, NY; OSHA’s citation was upheld in 2011. (DOL)
Q47. What U.K. scenes made headlines in 2013–2014?
A: Police-attended scuffles during early Black Friday pushes. (theguardian.com)
Q48. Which day usually surpasses Black Friday online?
A: Cyber Monday—the biggest U.S. online shopping day. (news.adobe.com)
Q49. Which global day dwarfed Black Friday in 2018 online GMV?
A: Singles’ Day hit $30.8B (Alibaba). (WIRED)
Q50. Who regularly forecasts/recaps U.S. online holiday spend?
A: Adobe Analytics—widely used by media/retail. (news.adobe.com)
When to play (Age guidance)
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Kids (6–10): Focus on Rounds A & C; read aloud; skip crowd-incident items.
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Teens: Full set; add lightning tie-breakers.
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Adults / Office: Full set + bonus stats from Round E.
Extended modes
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Picture round: Show 3–5 archived news photos (UK 2013 scuffles, etc.). (theguardian.com)
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Audio round: 10-sec clip → name the show/film (Superstore, South Park, Thanksgiving). (nbcarchives.fandom.com)
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Match-the-year: Pair terms with the year (Cyber Monday 2005; SBS 2010; GivingTuesday 2012). (ABC News)
Download zone (ready-to-use)
Print tip: import the CSV into Canva/Google Docs to lay out A6 cards (one Q per card). Use large, high-contrast fonts.
Hosting a holiday photo night after your quiz? See matching family outfit ideas and party checklists for easy planning.
