OK, Not Really "Buy Nothing":But Certainly Less

(They want you to click the banner)

The advocates of the Buy Nothing Christmas campaign have a provocative slogan, but it is not meant to be taken literally. Their press release from 2006 explains this.

Despite the name, the Buy Nothing Christmas campaign is not really about refusing to spend a dime over the holiday season. It’s about taking a deep breath and deciding to opt out of the hype, the overcrowded malls, and the stressful to-do lists. It’s about reminding ourselves to really think about what we are buying, why we are buying it, and whether we really need it at all.

It is more like a "Buy Less" campaign. For ASLaN, it isn't the giving of gifts to family, friends, and the needy that is so seedy, it is the Cult of Santa that has grown up around the message that St. Nicholas preached, and how that has entangled so many people in such a web of lies, guilt, and marketing hits.