International Buy Nothing Day - Definition and Overview

Buy Nothing Day is an informal annual day of protest against consumerism observed by social activists, a day when participants refrain from purchasing anything during one day. It was founded by the Canadian AdBusters magazine.

In the United States and in Canada, "Buy Nothing Day" supporters celebrate on the day after American Thanksgiving Day. That day, often called "Black Friday", is one of the busiest shopping days of the year. In other countries it happens a day later, on a Saturday.

Critics argue that it is a feel-good, liberal, middle-class activist non-event, insulting to the millions of people worldwide who are too poor or marginalized to be considered consumers. Others argue that, on the contrary, the whole point of "Buy Nothing Day" is to focus on the plight of the world's poor, and on what they deem the wasteful consumption habits of the First World.

External links

• http://www.bnd.nu/
• "Buy Nothing Day" in Poland (http://www.bnd.obin.org/)
• A similar initiative called "Buy Nothing Christmas" (http://www.buynothingchristmas.org/)
• The song "Buy Nothing At All" (http://www.peaceworks.ca/jklo.mp3) by Joel Kroeker (http://www.joelkroeker.com/) (2MB)
• The Buy Nothing Day site through the Adbusters Media Foundation (http://www.adbusters.org/metas/eco/bnd/)
• The Reverend Billy and The Church of the Stop Shopping (http://revbilly.com/)