Buy Nothing Christmas.

[rvijay]

www.buynothingchristmas.org

[Nirvana19105]

Wow, you're going to have some really disappointed friends and relatives.

[rvijay]

Wow, you're going to have some really disappointed friends and relatives.

Not if this concept is spread slowly and steadily. Besides take a look at the Catalogue at the site, it is called the Buy Nothing Catalogue.

Vijay

[borealis]

hell with that. i love christmas.

[rvijay]

hell with that. i love christmas.

Take a look at this poster:
http://www.buynothingchristmas.org/images/resources/posters/2004/where_did_I_say.jpg

[borealis]

Finding the perfect present for someone is really wonderful. Seeing them open it is wonderful, too. I don't care so much about getting presents. But I really like giving them.

[bethanie]

I don't worry about this stuff, since I make most of my Christmas gifts and have for the past few years...my daughter and I make jewelry, fudge, and cookies for our friends...last year I wrote my brother a story about how he used to get socks for Christmas and along with that I gave him...socks.

I really do try to make Christmas giving really close to the heart...not just money spent...but time and thought spent on a person, and creativity.

B

[bethanie]

Oh...one of my favorite gifts last year was a handmade wreath...it was made by a student and his mom, who got greenery from their own backyard. It was SOOOO beautiful.

I do wish people really undestood it isn't about all the gadgets.

B

[Nirvana19105]

Take a look at this poster:
http://www.buynothingchristmas.org/images/resources/posters/2004/where_did_I_say.jpg


It's got no application if one isn't religious. I like giving/recieving gifts, I hope you don't accept anything if you're not going to give anyone anything either.

[kpickell]

One of the most touching things I've encountered is when I see a kid or family who has decided to forgo getting gifts for Christmas or their birthday and instead donates toys or money to the less fortunate. I see this quite often at both the homeless shelter and the animal shelter and am always amazed at these people's compassion. Especially the kids, who would rather give their toys to the homeless than get any gifts of their own. It's quite amazing and nearly brings a tear to your eye. I haven't ever done that myself. I've already been out Christmas shopping, went to the after thanksgiving sales, and enjoy buying gifts for my family. If they ever request that I make a donation in their name, that would be fine with me, however gift giving is a big tradition and one of our few "family times" that I really enjoy.

[gkleinman]

Reminds me of a guy in SF who runs the Church of No Shopping:
http://www.revbilly.com/

The Director of Super Size Me is producing a doc about him! The dude got arrested trying to perform an Exorcism on a cash register in Starbucks

[nkuvu]

I hope you don't accept anything if you're not going to give anyone anything either.
Personally I've tried many times to get my family to stop giving me gifts for Christmas. I don't celebrate Christmas and I don't give gifts for Christmas.

But at some point it is more ungrateful to deny the gift than it is to accept it. My family knows that I don't want gifts. They know I won't be giving gifts. And if they still spend time and money to find a gift for me, should I tell them that it's worthless and I think nothing of what they did?

The point of giving gifts should not be something that you're expected to do. If someone gives you a gift and expects something in return... it's not a gift, it's a payment or bribe.

I've made my feelings on the matter very clear to my family. If they get me a gift in spite of this, I will graciously thank them and accept it. I feel it's more rude to dismiss it.

[Walter]

Wow, you're going to have some really disappointed friends and relatives.
The website isn't suggesting you should forgo giving gifts, it's suggesting you gives gifts that you don't have to buy.

I think it's a wonderful idea. My favorite gifts are those that have lots of thought put into them, and if one was to choose not to buy gifts, then one would have to do just that.

I've told my family for the last several years not to buy me anything on Christmas. My mother always goes against my wishes, but she's put so much thought into my gifts lately that I don't mind. She sends me a wreath from Vermont each year that my aunts make. Free and thoughtful! :cool:

[bumble]

GREAT IDEA!

I think consumerism is out of control.Make a gift,have a 'secret santa' within your family..bake a gift.
When I have children..we will have X-Mas every second year..I want my kids to give back and do something special for animals with the money,instead of loading up on video games and crap.
I want to teach them to vollunteer and REALLY give..not gifts of junk,made in China..but give something of their heart..back to the world in which we belong.

I want nothing for Chistmas..I wish it really was all about family and togetherness..and not sucking us all in to debt and buying machines.

[beforewisdom]

I just read in the news that Walmart is doing as well as expected.

A friend pointed out to me that many businesses........which employ ordinary non-rich people.........operate at a loss all year long and count on christmas buying to survive.

I'm not going to buy a lot this season, but I never do anyway.

[MsRuthieB]

I'm doing most of my shopping at the dollar stores and discount stores. I'm trying to really not spend that much this year..bascially because I don't have a whole lot to spend. But, I won't be shopping at the mail or any of these Walmart/Kmart stores. I may hit Big Lots and Value City though. Some folks, who have everything they need, are getting homemade cookies and bread.

[rincaro]

We *do* Christmas around here, but we scale it down. We are religious, so the boys get three gifts - if 3 were good enough for baby Jesus, it's good enough for them. And I don't go crazy overboard on the gifts either - they're getting things like imaginex sets, not tvs.

Also, we do charitable giving through our church. One of the things this year is an Angel tree. We have two girls we picked who have a parent in prison. And we will buy for them.

[bethanie]

It's got no application if one isn't religious. I like giving/recieving gifts, I hope you don't accept anything if you're not going to give anyone anything either.

I don't think this is true. The parent who gave me the wreath is, I think, either unitarian or agnostic. But she's truly one of the kindest most 'concious' people I know. I say it has just as much 'application' religious or not, that the spirit of giving/being helpful/kind and caring...experiencing hope, peace, joy and love is NOT strictly in the realm of any religion...it's what we hold in our hearts. Christian or not.

What you'd be saying is that if you aren't a Christian (Christmas being a Christian holiday), all that's left for you is the empty march of consumerism...that just doesn't hold water for me, as I've known too many people to be otherwise.

B

[beforewisdom]

We *do* Christmas around here, but we scale it down. We are religious, so the boys get three gifts - if 3 were good enough for baby Jesus, it's good enough for them. And I don't go crazy overboard on the gifts either - they're getting things like imaginex sets, not tvs.

Also, we do charitable giving through our church. One of the things this year is an Angel tree. We have two girls we picked who have a parent in prison. And we will buy for them.

I know some people who are into Christianity ( not fundamentalists or born agains ) who feel like the holiday has been hijacked by corporate america to the point where the meaning of it has been forgotten about.

They go to church services on christmas, exchange 1 small gift, and try to make the rest of the day about being with family in a positive way.

Sounds cool.

[kirkjobsluder]

The practice of gift-giving at mid-winter probably preceeds Chistianity.

Seriously, there is a balance to be found between crass commercialism and giving nothing. Within my family, I try to give music I've heard or books I've read that I think individual family members will enjoy. (Actually, I've done Tolkein's "malthom" a few years recirculating books to people I know would appreciate them.)

[kpickell]

I don't think this is true. The parent who gave me the wreath is, I think, either unitarian or agnostic. But she's truly one of the kindest most 'concious' people I know. I say it has just as much 'application' religious or not, that the spirit of giving/being helpful/kind and caring...experiencing hope, peace, joy and love is NOT strictly in the realm of any religion...it's what we hold in our hearts. Christian or not.

What you'd be saying is that if you aren't a Christian (Christmas being a Christian holiday), all that's left for you is the empty march of consumerism...that just doesn't hold water for me, as I've known too many people to be otherwise.

B

He was talking about the poster. It was a poster geared towards Christians, to tell them to focus on worshiping Jesus Christ rather than buying gifts. Kinda like those "Jesus Is The Reason For The Season" bumper stickers. He might be your reason for the season, but he's not everyone's.

[Rebel Girl]

I, personally hate Christmas, and just usally buy people batteries or something that they will use alot.

[msbunnicula]

We *do* Christmas around here, but we scale it down. We are religious, so the boys get three gifts - if 3 were good enough for baby Jesus, it's good enough for them.

I love that Rincaro! I'm not religious, but I think that that is a fabulous way to deal with the commercialism of Christmas.

[rincaro]

I figure if we start this young, they will know better than to hand over a mile long Christmas list when they are ten. Plus we are in their rooms cleaning out toys we don't use for charity. I want them to know they are blessed.

[rvijay]

If you like this idea of Buy Nothing Crhistmas/Buy Nothing Day, please cross post it to other groups, sites and inform your friends, where it is permitted, specially in the soc.culture usenet groups. This is still a small project. The more people becoem aware the better.

Vijay