First coined in November 2005 by Shop.org, Cyber Monday is the name given to the first Monday following Black Friday, which is the day after the U.S. holiday Thanksgiving.

Cyber Monday is reported to be the busiest online shopping day in the United States. It’s also the official day when many users begin online holiday shopping.

What’s with the names?

Black Friday is called “Black Friday” because it’s the day when companies can get enough sales to get out of the red (losing money) and into the black (making money).

The Tuesday following Cyber Monday is known as Giving Tuesday and is a day to show generosity to others. See GivingTuesday for further information and ideas on how to show your generosity.

Cyber Monday is on a Monday because, in the past, many people only had a dial-up connection or no Internet connection for online shopping. So, many would wait until Monday when they were at work to shop with a fast Internet connection.

Other shopping days

Like Cyber Monday, businesses also coined the following shopping days.

  • Where to buy computer hardware parts.
  • What hardware do you recommend, or what is best?
  • What to look for when buying computer hardware and software.
  • Computer buying tips and help.