Buy Nothing Day

Buy Nothing Day is an international day of protest against consumerism. In the wake of Black Friday, this day provokes thought about excessive spending.

Buy Nothing Day may sound odd, but behind those words are sentiments that echo what tens of thousands of people worldwide believe in. On November 26, 2010 in North America and on November 27 elsewhere throughout the world, these are the official days to protest consumerism. Buy Nothing Day is a way to educate the public to think about their personal consumption levels.

Buy Nothing Day History
In 1997, Buy Nothing Day was established to coincide with Black Friday. Black Friday is a day in which major American retailers have been behind aggressive advertising campaigns to create a shopping day to kick off Christmas shopping and increase corporate profits.

Buy Nothing Day was founded by Vancouver artist Ted Dave and actively promoted by Kalle Lasn, editor-in-chief and co-founder of Canadian-based Adbusters magazine. The first Buy Nothing Day was organized in Vancouver in September 1992 as a day for people to examine the issue of over-consumption. In 1997, Buy Nothing Day was moved to the day after Black Friday. Adbusters magazine has attempted to purchase advertising time on television but has been denied by all major networks except CNN.

Although Canada was the first nation to recognize this campaign of consumerism protest it has spread to the United States, United Kingdom, Austria, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Netherland, France, Norway, Japan, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Israel.

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