Shoppers of the world are being asked to put down their carrier bags on what is traditionally one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year, put up their feet and/or do something fun and free for the annual Buy Nothing Day (UK).

"Buy Nothing Day (UK) is a day where you challenge yourself, your family and friends to switch off from shopping and tune into life," says the web site for Buy Nothing Day (UK).

"The rules are simple, for 24 hours you will detox from consumerism and live without shopping. Anyone can take part provided they spend a day without spending!"

Buy Nothing Day is the brainchild of Adbusters magazine based in Vancouver Canada, with the aim of concentrating minds on what life might be like if we were living in a less consumeristic society with smaller ecological footprints.

Last year saw events, across the world, such as zombie walks to malls, credit-card cutting parties, and "whirl mart" actions, which is where a group of people endlessly drive empty shopping trolleys around the aisles in a conga line.

The message is probably more timely now than it has been in previous years. With Britains carrying ever higher debtloads, and wages stagnating, economic forecasters are saying that christmas this year is likely to be more subdued.