As we head into Christmas and a frenzy of gifts and gluttony, try to take a moment to step back and remember what the holidays are really about. We found Brian Smith’s story about Recycled Christmas a while back and thought it an inspiring example of what the holidays could and should really represent: celebration, thoughtfulness, and giving part of yourself.
+ Recycled Christmas
Recycled Christmas: One Family’s Revolution Against the Shopping Mall
By Brian Smith
Sitting around the dinner table out at the farm last Thanksgiving, the subject of what to do about Christmas came up. How would we organize a family gathering now that we kids are grown and scattered across the state? Whose house would we use? How would we deal with the whole gift-giving thing?
Everyone seemed completely unenthusiastic about engaging in another orgy of shopping and crowds and waste. There was the sense of duty: to tradition, to the nation. TV newscasters claimed that the very health of the US economy depended upon our generous holiday spending. Christmas consumerism is patriotic. Don’t think about it too much, just shut up and shop.
After confessing distaste for the entire affair, one rebel relative proposed we just bag the whole holiday. The lobbying for this option was fierce and convincing. And for an agnostic family, ignoring Christmas altogether seemed like a perfectly viable option. Though we really enjoyed coming together for a mid-winter celebration, the very thought of shopping ruined Christmas. Wasn’t there another option? Didn’t we have the right to reclaim the holiday and create our own family tradition? After an hour of discussion, and a few more glasses of wine, we arrived at a solution: Recycled Christmas. And it turned out to be the best Christmas since I was a child.
Here is how it works…
Everyone is invited to give presents to anyone else, but these rules must be followed: you can only give a gift that has been previously owned, nothing new; you can make a present, a painting, a song, a poem, or whatever; you can give away something you already own; you can purchase your gift at a second-hand store or garage sale; and all gifts should be wrapped in newspaper. (Sunday comics if you want to get fancy.)
That’s it. Simple.
Well, not exactly.
As it turns out, giving the perfect Recycled Christmas present is a much more personal experience than just going to the mall with a credit card. When you give a present from a garage sale, or from your attic, you must understand and care about the person on the receiving end. Another tie for dad or bath soap set for auntie just won’t do. You really have to think about your loved ones and who they are as people…
Read more at Alternet >
At long last, the voice of reason.
This is exactly what my brother and I decided last year and continued to do this year. In fact, we were both raised on a farm with nine other brothers and sisters and very little money. It was really returning to our first family tradition about gift giving – make it yourself out of what you have all the while thinking of the recipient and fashioning it just so knowing that person would enjoy the thoughtfulness and the craft. My husband joined in this year and learned about the joys of baking and giving bread. I have become a knitting fiend and, also, have gone through the family photo archive to give framed pictures with stories I have written. It’s not only better for the planet, it really feels good. And the time that it takes means some planning, yes, but also the opportunity to think fond thoughts during the act of creating something. I recommend it to one and all, whatever the economists think is necessary!
Yes, Infact I have been doing this a little bit each year. As I come across items in thrift stores or that I have had in my closet unused, I decide to give as gifts. I have also decided to make donations to organizations in the person name. My mother loves to feed everyone she meets so I made a donation to City Harvest in her name.
I had sweater that I unraveled and knitted into scarfs and hats. I got the idea from recycling yarn/sweaters on the internet. I save Christmas cards and make them into gift tags, posts cards or to decorate a gift wrappedin a paperbag.
Sooo many ways to be creative and reduce the amount of natural or virgin resources. I love it. I continue to find hope and inspiration fromyou all. Happy and Healthy New Year to you all.