Reclaim holidays by participating in Buy Nothing Day

Mary Ann Zimmerman
Daily Collegian (Pennsylvania State U.)

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (U-WIRE) ˜ Halloween was less than two weeks ago, and as of Nov. 1, Christmas commercials were fair game. I'm already getting sick of the annual association of "the perfect gifts" with the perfect Christmas.

We all watch for the new round of holiday commercials each year, talking about which ones we like and which ones we can't see again. According to the Direct Marketing Association, U.S. media advertising expenditures reached $285.2 billion in 1998 ˜ more than the total GDP of sub-Saharan Africa for that year. We're bombarded by advertisements everywhere we go. Ads persistently insist that our loved ones need certain objects to be happy and to enjoy the holidays, when the focus should be spending time with each other. Instead, we spend time in line at the mall.

The holiday shopping season traditionally begins the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday, this year falling on Nov. 28.

Every year on this day, bargain hunters flock to the malls and shopping centers as early as five in the morning in search of the ideal gift at the perfect price. Lines are maintained outside of toy stores by employees to regulate the amount of people in the store at a time. So hopeful moms, dads, aunts, uncles and grandparents arrive while it's still dark out in hopes of getting one of the toys of the year before they sell out. Others buy drastically discounted shirts and gadgets that are returned a month later. When did the holidays become more about spending time and money at stores than spending time with family? Why is there stress placed on finding the perfect gift for the best friend you rarely get the chance to see rather than excitement over getting to see them?

Adbusters, an anti-commercialism organization started by the Media Foundation in Vancouver, British Columbia, is encouraging customers to resist the urge to participate in the holiday season's perpetual over-consumption.

Each year, the top 10 shopping days fall between the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. For the past 12 years, Adbusters has initiated "Buy Nothing Day," going against everything the normal Christmas advertisements coerce you to do. Buy Nothing Day takes place in conjunction with Black Friday, as some shoppers are met with demonstrations outside and inside of malls urging them to put off shopping and spend time doing other important things.

Adbusters also offers gift exemption certificates to exchange with loved ones, saying let's not buy each other something just because we're supposed to but instead spend time together because we care to. Protestors in Seattle last year stood in front of a local mall and cut up their credit cards. Street theater takes places in cities around the world. Buy Nothing Day is celebrated on different dates in 30 countries and participation is growing yearly.

One reason why Buy Nothing Day is rarely heard about is because it is not advertised on the most direct medium ˜ television. Each year, Adbusters attempts to have their commercials for the event broadcast on several networks but, despite being able to pay the required fee to have their commercial aired, have been turned down every year by the three major networks: CBS, ABC and NBC. In a letter rejecting Adbusters' request, CBS went as far as to say Buy Nothing Day is "in opposition to the current economic policy in the United States."

The networks are in no way obligated by law to air any commercials, but as Harvard Law School Professor Laurence Tribe commented, "At least the networks make it clear who butters their bread."

The United States supports a lifestyle in which we consume more than we can productively use or more than the environment can provide. The holidays ought to be a time to look forward to. No one should dread spending long-awaited time with family and friends due to lack of money in their bank accounts.

Gifts are nice, but they're not what are most critical. Donate money to charity in someone's name or spend time with people instead of spending money on them. Do something together that you'll always remember instead of buying them something they'll forget in a few years. The holidays should never be overshadowed by a company's seasonal sales goals.

So Nov. 29, or any day during the upcoming shopping season, take a minute to realize what's really important, and buy nothing.

These views do not necessarily reflect those of the Daily Egyptian.

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