Reclaiming the Holidays: Care Over Consumerism

As the leaves transition to fiery hues, and the crisp air signals the approaching season of darkness, I am both elated and filled with dread.

Autumn is my favorite season, ushering in the time to turn inward, slow down, and reap the fruits of this year’s labor. However, the concept of the “holiday season” threatens to wash away my joy completely. Why do Thanksgiving and Black Friday and Christmas and New Year’s Eve irk me so?

There is an expectation with each of these holidays – an obligation to participate wholeheartedly, as traditions dictate. I love the traditions of joyful community gatherings and celebrations, sharing food and warmth, spreading care and support. However, materialism and consumerism have wrapped their tendrils around these holidays like a creeping, poisonous vine that will not let go.

The mountain of American dollars spent during the holiday season is as tall as the pile of waste generated afterwards, and the only true winners are the major companies that encouraged you to spend those dollars on flamboyant gifts, extravagant meals, giant inflatable snowmen for the front yard, and endless rolls of wrapping paper. This pattern of rampant consumerism during the holidays leaves our wallets empty and our hearts yearning for something deeper.

This holiday season, as the United States federal government sits stagnant, and our neighbors are illegally kidnapped by racist immigration enforcement agents, and millions of children lose access to SNAP benefits while our president builds a glittering ballroom, the most powerful act we can take is a stern refusal to participate in the systems that are causing such deep harm to our communities.

We must take a deeper look at the major corporations that gain millions of dollars spent on Black Friday and Cyber Monday and beyond, and funnel those dollars into the current systems of power. They do not deserve our dollars any longer.

Participating in a consumer boycott is a powerful way to channel your activism during the holidays. Image Credit: Blackout The System

Voting With Your Dollar

A coordinated economic blackout is set for November 25th, 2025 to December 2nd, 2025 (#masseconomicblackout). Americans are urged to refrain from spending money during this time as a demonstration that real power belongs to the people – not corrupt governments, not billionaires, not broken systems. Folks are encouraged not to purchase from:

Amazon, Target, Walmart, or other national chains
National fast food chains
Streaming services or national movie theater chains

Instead, folks are encouraged to invest in their communities during this time by:

Shopping at locally owned businesses
Cooking at home, shopping at farmers’ markets and co-ops for food, and dining out at locally owned restaurants
Supporting local services: bookstores, barbers, mechanics, bakers, etc.
Buying secondhand
Using public transit, walking, bicycling, carpooling
Donating to local mutual aid organizations and nonprofits
Skipping impulse purchases
Choosing community over convenience

People Power: How Consumer Boycotts Moved Markets in 2025

The evidence to justify this movement is plentiful. Throughout 2025, the American people have made waves of impact by choosing where to spend their money.

Since removing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in January, Target’s stock has seen a loss of over $20 billion in shareholder value. Target’s CEO made the decision to leave his position amid significant declines in consumer spending. This is people power. (https://www.investopedia.com/target-faces-boycott-without-dei-11804311)
After donating $150,000 to Trump’s inauguration ceremony in January and actively running ICE-recruitment ads this autumn, Spotify users are leaving the streaming platform in droves. The CEO has decided to step down. (https://www.euronews.com/culture/2025/10/22/spotify-users-boycott-streaming-platform-over-ice-recruitment-ads)
Subscription cancellations to Disney+ and Hulu more than doubled this September after Jimmy Kimmel Live! was suspended. The decision to put his show back on the air was quickly made after over seven million people said, “This is wrong.” (https://www.businessinsider.com/disney-hulu-cancellation-spike-boycott-jimmy-kimmel-suspension-abc-streaming-2025-10)

This is people power. This is the activity that will make the CEOs and billionaires tremble in their boots. This is a force that, if maintained and practiced by everyone, could dismantle the systems that are harming the planet and our collective well-being. Reclaiming our dollars means reclaimed peace.

Think about it. Imagine ditching the music streaming platform that is funding systems of oppression and returning to the world of mixtapes, burned CDs, and going to the local record store for a new vinyl. Imagine cancelling subscriptions to the video streaming services that are attempting to silence our voices and getting a library card instead. Imagine deleting your Amazon Prime account and shopping from indie bookstores, local artisans, and small businesses in your community. Imagine a holiday gathering where everyone cooked for each other and exchanged handwritten notes with homemade presents.

We can take a stand and participate in the economic blackout this month, and afterwards, we can choose where to spend our money in the best possible way.

We Are the Key to Toppling Corporate Power

Not ready to abandon the modern age and run back to the nostalgia of your CD collection? Still feel the urge to buy presents for the holidays? Here are some easy switches we can make (brought to you by podcast creators @hastagruthlesspods) to avoid the companies causing the most harm to our environment and wellbeing:

Ditch Amazon/Kindle and Audible → try libro.fm for audiobooks, local bookstores, the library, and Bookshop.org for physical books
Ditch Spotify and Apple Music → try Qobuz or Tidal for music, Overcast for podcasts
- You can even use TuneMyMusic to transfer your music library to its new home!
Ditch Disney+, Hulu, etc. → try PBS Passport and your local library
Ditch The New York Times → support NPR and local independent news outlets
Ditch Starbucks → support your local coffee shops and roasters
Ditch big banks → support local banks and credit unions that keep your money in the community
Ditch Target → try CostCo, local grocery stores, farmers markets, small businesses, Facebook marketplace, and more
Ditch Amazon Prime → go to craft fairs and maker’s markets for holiday gifts, purchase secondhand from thrift stores and creative reuse centers, and make your own holiday gifts!

Not only would it benefit the planet to spend less, it would benefit everyone to spend intentionally. It’s okay to purchase holiday presents for your loved ones, but it serves us the most when we make those purchases mindfully. Do not simply buy presents to fulfill your societal obligation for the holiday season.