This is an in-depth look at all the must-know facts about Buy Nothing Day (2024) 🗓️ that no one tells you about. Buy Nothing Day is celebrated on November 25th.
Among the information you’ll find below: the history of Buy Nothing Day, activities to do on and how to observe this holiday, as well as cool facts you ought to know about Buy Nothing Day.
📅 What day is Buy Nothing Day 2024?
In 2024, Buy Nothing Day is on Saturday, November 25th. It is the 4th Saturday in November; in 2024, it is Monday. There are until the next observance. You also can learn all the fun details and facts about November 25, 2023, that you might not be aware of.
National Buy Nothing Day is an annual event that originated in Canada during the 1990s. It occurs every year on the day after Thanksgiving in the United States, which falls on November 25th this year. This anti-consumerism holiday was created by artist Ted Dave as a way to protest the excessive and sometimes dangerous shopping frenzy of Black Friday. The goal is to counteract the chaos of Christmas shopping by encouraging a mindful and environmentally-friendly approach to post-feast purchases. Finally, we have a valid reason to avoid early shopping on Thanksgiving weekend!
📜 Buy Nothing Day History
As Black Friday became deeply ingrained in American culture, Canadian artist Ted Dave became increasingly disturbed by the sudden shift from a day of gratitude to one of chaos and greed. In response, he founded National Buy Nothing Day in 1992 to challenge the country’s obsession with material possessions.
Today, Americans observe National Buy Nothing Day as a way to combat excessive waste and unnecessary spending that often occurs in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving and Christmas. After splurging on food, decorations, travel, and accommodation for Thanksgiving, the idea is to detox from spending by staying at home or immersing oneself in nature.
On the fourth Friday of November, you might come across Buy Nothing protesters aimlessly wandering through your local mall, wearing blank expressions and diverting money towards retirement savings. Some might even choose to sit in merchant floors or dressing rooms. This peculiar behavior is part of the annual “zombie walk,” a group activity aimed at drawing attention to and raising awareness about the theme of anti-consumerism.
This year, we encourage you to take some time to understand the significance of this national day against shopping, whether you choose to stay at home and watch TV or engage in performance art at the mall.
✅ Buy Nothing Day Facts
🔖 Clogged pipes
This long-standing shopping craze happens to be the busiest day for plumbers due to the high number of people causing overcrowding in restrooms at stores and malls.
🔖 Getting an early start
In 2011, Walmart broke the tradition of waiting until Black Friday to open its doors by starting their sales on Thanksgiving night. As a result, customers have now started their frantic shopping sprees even before the sun rises on the fourth Friday of November.
🔖 One dark past
The term “Black Friday” was first coined on September 24, 1869, after a significant drop in the gold market caused by two individuals scamming investors on Wall Street.
👍 Why Is Buy Nothing Day Important
Listen, it’s really quite straightforward. This precious holiday saves us a lot of money by providing us an excuse to remain at home and sleep off the turkey. Not only will we avoid buying unnecessary products just because they’re on sale, but we’ll also save money on driving and eating out. It’s a win-win situation for everyone!
Those of us who are lucky enough to have supplemental income might often fall into the trap of keeping up with the Joneses by making rash purchases. Every year on this day, we have the opportunity to practice the “stop” and narrow down our Christmas shopping lists to only the goods that will have the most effect.
The simple fact that an item is on sale can often feel like an obligation to buy. Isn’t that the whole point of Black Friday? to persuade us to spend. We enjoy National Buy Nothing Day because it relieves us of the duty to seek discounts, if only for a day.
🙂 How To Observe Buy Nothing Day
⚡ Make a donation
⚡ Have a Christmas movie marathon
After indulging in a bountiful Thanksgiving meal, and with an abundance of leftovers filling your house, gather your loved ones in the living room for a Christmas movie marathon to kickstart the joyful season. Embrace the opportunity to sleep in, lounge around in your cozy pajamas, and enjoy quality time together. Instead of purchasing or renting movies, simply tune in to the Hallmark channel for a delightful selection of holiday films.
⚡ Counteract the madness
Instead of buying anything for yourself, go through your stuff and see what you can give. So many people go without during this season of giving. Consider cleaning out your closet or your kids’ toy chest and giving everything that hasn’t been used in the last few years to your local Salvation Army or Goodwill. Someone else may benefit from them!
📅 When is Buy Nothing Day?
| YEAR | DATE | DAY |
| 2023 | November 25 | Saturday |
| 2024 | November 25 | Monday |
| 2025 | November 25 | Tuesday |
| 2026 | November 25 | Wednesday |
| 2027 | November 25 | Thursday |
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