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Black Friday is nearly upon us as retailers prepare for shoppers to spend big in the lead up to Christmas.

The Black Friday "tradition" first started in the United States, but has since been adopted by many shops in the UK.

But what exactly is Black Friday? And why are so many adults talking about it?

We breakdown exactly what Black Friday is and when it is happening this year.

Black Friday is when shops and retailers put down some of their prices temporarily to encourage shoppers to buy more products.

Some retailers extend these deals across the week, or the weekend, which is why you might hear the phrase Cyber Monday associated with Black Friday.

Black Friday is often used as an opportunity to buy presents ahead of the festive season.

In Wales, Black Friday is referred to as Dydd Gwener y Gwario Gwirion, which translates to Silly Spending Friday.

Black Friday takes place on the fourth Friday of November, the day after Thanksgiving.

This year it is happening on Friday 29 November.

Thanksgiving is a holiday that is observed in United States and is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of every November.

You can find out more about Thanksgiving here.

The last few months of the year are often called the Golden Quarter for retailers.

This is the period in the year in which they often earn the most money.

It was thought that the name Black Friday comes from when retailers move from the red to the black.

When talking about money, a business can be in the red if they owe money or have not made a profit.

A business is described as being in the black when they have no money owed or if they are making a profit.

However, this is not where the name for Black Friday comes from.

The phrase Black Friday was first used by police officers in the city of Philadelphia to describe the chaos of the Friday after Thanksgiving, as people rushed to the shops to buy Christmas presents.

In the 1980s, the phrase was used in a more positive way by retailers and businesses, suggesting it was the day they started to turn a profit.

Retail news magazine, Retail Gazette, say Black Friday sales in previous years have been important for shoppers because of the cost of living crisis.

This year, they say research suggests that "shoppers are prepared to make big purchases ahead of Christmas and Black Friday."

But consumer group Which? warned that some Black Friday deals could be too good to be true, saying it is "rarely the cheapest time to shop".

They studied the prices of 214 Black Friday deals in 2021 and found that 98% of the products could be found at the same price or for a cheaper price in the six months before and after Black Friday.