Buy Nothing Day
In a year of have and have-nots, Nov. 25 represents another economic duality: buy or buy not.
Adbusters encourages people to not buy anything for 48 hours. Or, in other words, ignore Black Friday sales completely. The organization encourages consumers to instead "celebrate simplicity" and wants to get the "runaway consumer culture back onto a sustainable path."
If you concur:
* Spend the day making gifts you can give away.
* Avoid the crowds, save the magnetic strip on your credit card and sleep in.
* "Regift" gently worn items to local shelters and charities.
Black Friday
In direct opposition to Buy Nothing Day is the famous day known as "Shopping Reminder Day" or, as most know it, Black Friday. With constant reminders on the radio, on TV (and online and in stores, and Christmas decorations lining store shelves before Halloween) Shopping Reminder Day (29 days until Christmas Eve) is an antiquated notion.
Stores have been promoting their Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales with previews and hours extending Black Friday into Thanksgiving Day. The early push must be working. "The number of people who say they are 'definitely' shopping Black Friday weekend rose from 27% in 2010 to 33% this year," according to the National Retail Federation (NRF).
National Parfait Day
Take one dessert glass and fill it with layers of cream, fruit, pudding, mousse, ice cream, liqueur or syrup, pieces of cake or crumbled cookies. Voila, you have an instant parfait. While the name sounds fancy and complicated, parfaits are one of the easiest desserts you can make without using the stove.
In the 19th century, a parfait was more specific, containing "frozen coffee-flavored French ice dessert constructed in parfait-shaped (tall and thin) ice cream molds," according to "Larousse Gastonomique." Layering ice cream with fruits and liqueurs gained popularity in America by the mid-19th century. While these parfaits were made in tall and thin glasses, you can use any glass or dessert dish to make yogurt berry parfaits or a zesty pink lemonade parfaits.
Native American Heritage Day
On June 26, 2009, the 111th Congress officially designated the Friday after Thanksgiving as Native American Heritage Day to "honor Native Americans with activities." While you're more likely to find a Black Friday event than a Native American Heritage Day you can still celebrate the holiday:
* Attend HawkFeather Dancers - Modern Native American Dances and Customs at the JFK Museum, Boston, Mass.
* Visit (online) a museum dedicated to Native American Heritage like the National Museum of the American Indian.
* Nov. 25 is also Maize Day, recognizing foods contributed to our culture by Native Americans and the First Nations of the Americas. Make corn dishes, popcorn or corn crafts.
John F. Kennedy Jr. Birth Anniversary
Before Prince William grew up the eyes of the nation focused on the career of a member of the political royal family in the United States, John F. Kennedy Jr. The son of President John F. Kennedy grew up in the public eye and went on to practice law and run his own magazine, "George." Kennedy, born on Nov. 25, 1960, died in a plane crash on July 16, 1999.
