this is an article i wrote for my school newspaper...

How are you celebrating Christmas this year?

This year’s International Buy Nothing Day (BND) hit me with bits of hallway conversations consisting of “I wanna go shopping soooooo bad!” I must confess that I celebrated the day, November 26, without the ceremony and thrill of BND 2004. (It’s very easy to get kicked out of the Eaton Centre if you’re dressed as a zombie, stickering anything and everything that doesn’t move, and telling people to buuuuuy moooore thiiings in the manner of the living dead.)
The sad truth is that most of the people hitting the malls do give the impression of the living dead. We walk in the midst of flashy advertising and clever marketing stunts, blind to the reality of endless consumption. If everyone on Earth lived like an average North American we would need nine Earths to sustain us.
And whatever happened to spending time with people instead of spending money on gifts they don’t really need? If Christmas has a point, it is to embrace the spiritual in our lives, stop, breathe, and reconnect. Things will never replace people and the precious moments we could spend with them. The void won’t be filled with that fleeting sense of accomplishment we get after buying yet another spiffy outfit.
Consider this a challenge to find an alternative. You can make people happy without spending money on them. Cook a fancy dinner for your family. Teach your friends how to tango. Spend a whole day with that special someone, and exchange handmade gifts. Give your friends your undivided attention, write a poem, paint a picture, make a calendar… the options are endless.
If you do need to buy something, make smart choices. Buying from local small businesses is great for the economy, same goes for buying made in Canada. Many stores such as Ten Thousand Villages sell beautiful fair trade gifts from all around the world.
Whatever you choose to do, make a conscious choice. Neither the advertising companies nor mass media should take that away from you.
Keep it peaceful, keep it green.

for more information go to www.buynothingchristmas.org