courtesy kotaku
Every year, an event occurs that has become a family tradition for millions of Americans. Though it often includes pushing, shoving, eye-gouging, and sometimes even downright brawls, it is anticipated with great fervor. No, I am not talking about Wrestlemania. This particular event also carries with it the side effects of stress, family squabbles, indebtedness, and bad credit. That’s right. I’m talking about Black Friday.
The tradition of hailing the Friday after Thanksgiving as the first day of the Christmas shopping season began in 1924 with the genesis of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The term “Black Friday” was attributed to it by Philadelphia police in the 1960′s due to the traffic jams and mob mentality that swept over the downtown area. At Modern Hippie Mag we realize that this tradition isn’t truly beneficial to our readers, doesn’t actually promote a sustainable economy or sense of family, and isn’t old enough to be that deeply ingrained in our collective psyche. We prefer to see things in a more positive light, therefore, this year we would like to promote Green Friday.
“What is Green Friday?” you may ask. We see it as a practical extension of Thanksgiving. While the last Thursday of November is slated as the celebration of all that America has offered us, we would like to see Green Friday as the celebration of a more expanded consciousness and the celebration of all that the planet has offered us.
“How do we celebrate Green Friday?” you may also ask. Start inside and expand out. Begin your day being thankful for the body through which you experience this world with whatever stress reducing exercises you enjoy. Next, spend time with your family and friends. We realize that you did that on Thanksgiving Day, but you may also have been cooking or baking or organizing who sits where. Green Friday is about enjoying. Go spend some time in nature, whether it’s going to a state or national park, or just lying in the grass in your backyard, take some time to reconnect with the natural order of things. If you’re like most Americans, you’ll still have two more days before you have to rejoin the rat race, so take this day to celebrate what you’re working for.
Lastly, stay out of stores. Don’t buy anything. One of the greatest realizations of embracing a sustainable lifestyle is that you probably don’t really need anything more than what you already have. Living in harmony and awareness assures that you never have to grasp for anything.
“But what about shopping?” you may want to know. We’ve taken into consideration that the holiday season has begun. There are many people in your life that you love very much, and you want to show that appreciation through gifts. We honor and appreciate that. However, you don’t have to go in debt to do it. That is why we are putting together our own Green Giving Guide.
Through the collective resources of our contributors, we hope to bring you daily tips for giving this year that include ideas that are creative, unique, affordable, and guaranteed to make this one of the most memorable holiday seasons for years to come.
So celebrate Green Friday with us and keep checking back with Modern Hippie Mag every day for your Green Giving Guide. And by all means, if you have an idea that you’d like to share, please send it along and help our community grow.
