On 25 November - the unofficial start of the international Christmas shopping season – thousands of concerned citizens in 65 countries around the world took a day out to participate in the 14th annual Buy Nothing Day, a global phenomenon that originated in Vancouver, Canada. Buy Nothing Day may not have hit Ireland yet, but the rest of Europe was teeming with celebrations again this year, with actions taking place in at least 15 nations and four dozen cities. Support for Buy Nothing Day was strong in the UK, with at least eight cities participating, including Manchester, Oxford and London. In Manchester a Buy Nothing Day banner, suspended by 28 helium balloons, was released next to the Christmas tree in the Arndale Shopping Centre. Games were played in various centres around the city in an attempt to reclaim frenzied shopping areas into spaces of friendship and fun. The first Buy Nothing Day, the brainchild of artist Ted Dave, was organized by a Vancouver-based group in September 1992, as a day for society to examine the issue of over-consumption. In 1997, it was moved to the Friday after American Thanksgiving, which is the busiest pre-Christmas shopping weekend in the US. Soon, campaigns started appearing in the US, UK, Israel, Germany, New Zealand, Japan, the Netherlands, and Norway. Participation now spans over 65 nations. Buy Nothing Day activists aim to challenge themselves, their families and their friends to switch off from shopping and tune back into life for one day. The global event is celebrated as a relaxed family holiday, as a non-commercial street party, or even as a politically charged public protest. Anyone can take part provided they spend a day without spending. Reasons for participating in Buy Nothing Day are as varied as the people who choose to participate. Some see it as an escape from the marketing mind games and frantic consumer binge that has come to characterize the holiday season, and our culture in general. Others use it to expose the environmental and ethical consequences of over-consumption. Two recent, high-profile disaster warnings outline the sudden urgency of our dilemma. First, in October, a global warming report by economist Sir Nicholas Stern predicted that climate change will lead to the most massive and widest-ranging market failure the world has ever seen. Soon after, a major study published in the journal Science forecast the near-total collapse of global fisheries within 40 years. The Adbusters Media Foundation was responsible for turning Buy Nothing Day into an international annual event. Co-founder Kalle Lasn says: 'Our headlong plunge into ecological collapse requires a profound shift in the way we see things. Driving hybrid cars and limiting industrial emissions is great, but they are band-aid solutions if we don't address the core problem: we have to consume less. This is the message of Buy Nothing Day.' As Lasn suggests, Buy Nothing Day isn't just about changing habits for one day. It's about starting a lasting lifestyle commitment to consuming less and producing less waste. With six billion people on the planet, the onus is on the most affluent – the upper 20% that consumes 80% of the world's resources – to begin setting the example. Giving More by Giving Less Here are a few ideas for Christmas gifts that don't involve excessive consumerism: * Time is often a bigger gift than money. Creating coupons that offer free babysitting or housecleaning, or a special treat, can mean more than a stocking filler. * Offer to teach someone a skill you have. * Write a poem, tell a story, draw a picture or take a photograph and present it in a creative way. Ian writes: My family started this practice years ago. We are a large family and had trouble sticking to the €10.00 or one gift rule. So we made new rules. Everyone gets everyone else a gift, only they are not allowed to buy it. We have even more fun now on Christmas morning than ever. We observe all the regular trappings of baking, carol singing, decorating the tree, great food, and visiting family. All year long, we are on the look out for something we didn't buy and can give as a gift. For us re-gifting is de rigueur! Also promos, giveaways and other freebies all make an appearance. Gifts are found, made, or passed along. It allows children, teens, adults, and grandparents to try and be creative and give meaningful gifts. The exchange of gifts becomes much more significant as all the gifts are literally priceless. On Christmas Day it seems the best gifts are given by those with the least ability to buy - children and low income – who are the most accustomed to being creative and to seeing the value in objects that can't be bought. (Source: www.adbusters.org)