Observed by United Kingdom Frequency Annual | Celebrations Partying Related to | |
Date Last Friday before Christmas | ||
Black Friday, Mad Friday or Black Eye Friday is a nickname for the last Friday before Christmas in the United Kingdom.
Contents
It is the most popular night for office and factories Christmas parties, which consequently makes it one of the busiest nights in the year for ambulances and the police.
Names
The day was originally known as Black Friday. From 2013, the press began to use the term Mad Friday to avoid confusion with the American Black Friday in November, which was growing increasingly popular in the UK due to marketing by American retailers.
In parts of the United Kingdom, the day has been referred to as Black Eye Friday, due to unusually high number of fights that break out in bars, pubs and clubs in the area.
It is sometimes called Builders' Friday, as it is the last day of work for many construction workers.
Safety concerns and preventive measures
In anticipation of the festivities, police and emergency services officials begin their preparations for Black Friday early in December. Ambulance trusts around the country plan and set up mobile "drunk tanks" in city centers to help lighten the load on hospitals and police cells. Some of the higher end mobile units can treat up to 11 people at a time with eight beds, seats with restraint straps and two showers, and can cost up to £500,000. In Manchester, temporary metal detectors, or "knife arches," are erected in the busiest parts of the city to assure the public that no weapons of any kind will be tolerated.
Social media
In December 2013, Greater Manchester Police promoted the hashtag #MadMancFriday to expose some of the embarrassing things that revellers would do, in the hopes of discouraging them from getting so publicly drunk again next year.
Christian Nightlife Initiatives launched a "StaySafe" campaign to encourage responsible behavior via social media.
Table of dates
Mad Friday takes place every year on the last Friday before Christmas day.