SHOPPERS should avoid going on a Black Friday spending spree tomorrow and buy a charity gift instead, the head of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland has said.
Moderator Dr William Henry said excessive consumption has helped to fuel climate change and plastic pollution.
"Black Friday and the advertising industry are pushing us towards an endless cycle of buying stuff simply because it seems a little cheaper than it was previously advertised," he said.
"Yet we have so much already that it’s really hard to buy a novel gift for someone. Besides, we’ve more stuff, less space and we’re not any happier."
He said charity presents, including those offered by Christian Aid, "are true gifts that bring real pleasure".
The charity sells gifts which will be sent to people in the developing world, including a pack of mosquito nets, a nanny goat to help feed a family and antibiotics for a mobile clinic in Palestine.
Christian Aid Ireland chief executive Rosamond Bennett welcomed the moderator's comments.
"Endless tit-for-tat giving just means that we all wind up with lots of tat," she said.
