Buy Nothing Day?

Yesterday at work, a colleague made us discover (rediscover in my case, because I knew about it before), Buy Nothing Day, a phenomenon which started in the US but which is trying to build momentum in the UK. Today is the 27th of November and it is therefore UK's Buy Nothing Day.

When I first read about it, a few years ago, I was an enthusiastic supporter. I never really followed it, but I am naturally against consumerism and hate its manifestations like Boxing Day, Black Friday and so forth. I have been to the Boxing Day once in my life, and I do not want to live this ever again. I am on principle and feelings all for a time when you do not consume, just enjoy life. That said, I now work in the private sector and I have made peace with it (in the meantime I divorced from old ambitions) and I have rediscovered the virtues of capitalism and commerce, at least at an individual level. Commerce makes me pay the bills these days, people buying stuff got me this job. So for very selfish reasons, very selfish principles, and because buying/selling gets the economy rolling (and we need economy to roll), I will not buy nothing today. I need to do my Christmas shopping and those small local businesses need me.