Mothers Day, Fathers Day, Valentines Day, Black Friday, Cyber Monday etc. etc. etc. AAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!
 
I'm involved with marketing and even I've had a gutful of these days we invent to get people to part with their cash. Businesses need to make money of course, but my objections about these "days" is mainly because of how we do it; using pressure points such as guilt.. "show her you love her".. bleh, bleh, bleh. If I want to give a gift, I give it when I want, not when somebody tells me I have to dammit!
 
Anyhow, moving on from my small dummy-spit..
 
The holiday shopping season is gearing up and merchants will have all sorts of psychological weapons in their marketing arsenal this year, so ensure you're suitably armed. You'll not only help the planet, but perhaps your bank account too.
 
A couple of "days" designed to somewhat combat the upcoming consumption fest are Buy Nothing Day on and Green Gift Monday.
 
Green Gift Monday coincides with Cyber Monday, November 29, the official start of the online holiday shopping season. An initiative of the Nature Conservancy, Green Gift Monday promotes green, responsible shopping for the holidays. 
 
According to the group, last year on Cyber Monday, U.S. consumers spent nearly $890 million dollars online and says a big difference could be made if just a fraction of that money was spent on responsible, meaningful holiday gifts. You can learn more about Green Gift Monday here. I guess this "day" like others also works the guilt angle, but the intended outcomes are a little more positive in terms of the environment.
 
Even more drastic is Buy Nothing Day - an international day of protest against hyperconsumption, marked by.. you guessed it.. buying nothing non-essential on the day. This year the dates are November 26 for North America and the 27th internationally. You can learn more about Buy Nothing Day here.
 
Thought: with so many "days", green or otherwise, will it become a case of overload and they'll soon mean nothing? The sad thing is it probably won't happen with the consumption oriented ones.
 
Rage against the machine! Ignore all the "days" and buy gifts only when you really want to.. with the planet in mind of course :).
 
Related: Earth friendly holiday season tips