Buy Nothing Day 2009
November 24, 2009 by Peggy Rowland
Filed under Consumer Choice
Here’s your chance to participate by not participating.
Buy Nothing Day is a 24-hour moratorium on consumer spending. It’s a way of speaking out against the toxic culture that constantly says we need more stuff. It’s revolting against excessive commercialism. It’s staying home on Black Friday.
November 27 is Buy Nothing Day, hosted by AdBusters. For international readers, Buy Nothing Day is November 28.
Why would you buy nothing the day after Thanksgiving? Maybe the better question is: Why are you buying something?
Great Reasons to Buy Nothing on Black Friday
- You’re sending a message that you’re tired of being told you must march out and buy things. Are we cattle herded into stores? It sure seems like it if you watch news footage of Black Friday lines to get into stores.
- You’re possibly avoiding catching the flu. Remember, the flu is spread easily in large crowds. Black Friday may not be such a fun way to spend time off work if you end up in misery later.
- You’re being nice! Black Friday tends to promote unhealthy competition for certain items or deals. Some folks show their darkest sides on this day. In fact, people sometimes die from being trampled trying to get into stores.
- You’re lessening traffic and being green. The major shopping areas in my neighborhood require several police officers to direct slews of cars on Black Friday. It’s totally unnecessary. Let’s relax.
Learn more about the reasons behind Buy Nothing Day on adbusters.org.
(Image via AdBusters)
Yey! You took over the BND stuff here. I’m glad. I’m still celebrating. I like your take about why buy anything. Good point.
I totally agree! Why let the big chain stores tell us when we should go to the store to get the good sales!? What a bunch of baloney! I don’t like crowds either and I don’t like to be tricked into going into a store to get a certain item only to find out it was sold out immediately! I’ve been practicing my own buy nothing day for years. I have always referred to it as, “I don’t want to shop with the crazy people day!”
Happy to make you celebrate.
Black Friday isn’t very tempting for me anyway. I hate crowds of shoppers.
A Capps, I like your name for Black Friday!