The Friday after Thanksgiving or “Black Friday” is reserved by global corporations for whipping Americans into a frenzy of over-consumption. Millions camp out and line up for hours hoping for bargains. Most end up buying things they don’t need at prices they can’t afford.
Save big today. Don’t buy a single thing. If you want to spend something, spend the day with friends and family. Spend time at the library; borrow a book and spend time reading it. Spend time making something. You’re not what you buy. You’re not a “consumer.” You’re a human being.
More:
“Buy Nothing Day: #OCCUPYXMAS,” AdBusters
“Buy Nothing Day,” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
“Black Friday: Who has money to spend when the economy is in the dumps?” Anastasia Christman, The Christian Science Monitor via Alaska Dispatch
“5 Reasons to Skip Black Friday Sales,” Kimberly Palmer, U.S. News & World Report
“The Limits of Black Friday and Cyber Monday,” John Jannarone, Wall Street Journal
“Just A Holiday Reminder: Black Friday Sales Are Utterly Meaningless,” Charles Hugh Smith, Business Insider
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Tags: advertising, anti-consumerism, Black Friday, business, Buy Nothing Day, commericalism, consumerism, consumption, retail
NotionsCapital 
November 25, 2011 at 11:21 am
UPDATES:
“Black Friday shoppers pepper-sprayed in Calif.” CBS News
More precisely, they pepper-sprayed each other.
“Man Shot Over Black Friday Haul At Wal-Mart,”Andrew Dalton, SFist
“Malls track shoppers’ cell phones on Black Friday,” Annalyn Censky, CNN Money
“Violence mars Black Friday,” CNN
“Gunfire Erupts at North Carolina Mall as Early Shoppers Arrive,” AP via Wall Street Journal blog
“Pepper Spray and Stampedes — Must Be Black Friday,” AFP via Discovery News
“‘Black Friday’ Champs Walk Over Dying Man To Buy Target Crap,” Wonkette
“The desperation of Black Friday,” By Andrew Leonard, Salon
November 25, 2011 at 11:22 pm
Canadians keep some perspective. Come on up to Canada for an “escape the madness” day.
November 26, 2011 at 11:29 am
[…] NotionsCapital Ideas on Events and Culture from Washington, DC « Big Savings! […]
November 26, 2011 at 12:06 pm
For the past 10 years, I’ve kayaked along the San Francisco waterfront on Buy Nothing day, waving at the shoppers along the way. This year, there were 38 of us paddling, and waving, and buying nothing.
November 27, 2011 at 3:22 pm
And then there is Black Saturday:
” I bought a 5 inch LED television on Black Friday, hooked it up, and there’s nothing good on…”
November 23, 2012 at 7:08 pm
[…] that sell imported products in U.S. shopping malls. Some resisted this retail feeding frenzy and bought nothing. Today people from both camps will buy local, shopping with neighborhood shops on Small Business […]