It's not called "Brown Friday" for the reasons you might think. Interestingly, it’s not primarily about clogged toilets, which the name might imply.
"The day after Thanksgiving is typically one of the busiest days of the year for the plumbing industry, with kitchen drains and garbage disposals tending to be the biggest source of plumbing calls. However, other household activities can add to the problem," said Dario Compain, director for the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast of Michael Bonsby HVAC, Plumbing, & Electrical (DC)/ Degree Heating & Cooling. "The increased use of laundry, showers, toilets, and dishwashers during the holidays, in addition to the added amount of activity in the kitchen, can lead to your system backing up more easily."
A typical Thanksgiving dinner, which produces grease, potato skins and turkey drippings, puts more strain on your kitchen sink than a usual meal, and can easily clog your sink.
The combination of these foods and the added strain on your plumbing system because of house guests can lead to backups, clogs and other problems that need immediate attention.
Yelp data shows that searches during 2023's Brown Friday for “emergency plumbing” surged by 65% compared with the two weeks before and after Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving Day, searches for “24-hour plumbers” were higher than any other day in November 2023.
