Black Friday – The Most Sinister Day of the Year

You get International Buy Nothing Day, that’s what.

This anti-consumerist celebration was founded in Vancouver, British Columbia by an artist who was disgusted by the world’s rampant over-consumption.  The Canadian not-for-profit magazine Adbusters picked up the idea and ran with it, and environmentalists, activists and concerned individuals in over 65 countries around the world are now choosing to “just say no” when it comes to over-purchasing.  Or purchasing at all, in this case.

Sure, Buy Nothing Day sounds like a simple enough idea, but for some it’s harder than you might think.  Especially when it falls on the busiest shopping day of the year: Black Friday.  The day when people get up before the sun, shake off their turkey-comas and fight their way through treacherous crowds, all to get the best deal on the newest and hottest items.  A day when even the meekest people rage through the stores like bulls charging through the streets of Pamplona.  Claws come out, shopping carts become weapons, and if you really want the newest Rockband game you better be prepared to fight to the death.

“Holidays” like this (and Boxing Day in Canada, which takes place the day after Christmas) have never really appealed to me.  The sinister names themselves are enough to turn me off, conjuring images of black-eyes and boxing-gloved sale seekers.  And then there are the line-ups and the unfriendly crowds… and the environmentalist in me doesn’t even want to think of all the extra waste we’re creating. All those plastic shopping bags, and receipts, and gift boxes… not to mention all the extra heat released into the atmosphere by all those shoppers burning up their credit cards.  *Shudder*

Which is why on Black Friday, I will be joining the masses celebrating Buy Nothing Day instead.  And maybe some of you might want to join me.  Try putting away your credit cards and locking up your cash for a day.  Put your spare change back in that jar on your dresser (or better yet, give it to that homeless man you always pass on the corner... he could probably use a sandwich or something).  If you’re feeling daring, take a more active stand and try out some of Adbuster’s suggested pranks.  Dress as a zombie and wander through the aisles of your local department store.  Walk around with a pair of scissors and a sign offering to “put an end to extortionate interest rates and mounting debt with one considerate cut” by snipping people’s credit cards.  Grab a bunch of friends and form a conga line of empty shopping carts, and weave your way through crowded shops.  Take a stand against unnecessary overspending. 

But most of all, have fun with it.  You don’t need to spend money to have a good time!