The infamous day of retail-shopping mayhem known as Black Friday, and its younger, digital sibling, Cyber Monday, have come and gone. For many, a good chunk of their gift-purchases have been made, but in the weeks leading up to Christmas (and for some, the last-minute dash during a particularly early Chanukah), there’s bound to be some work left to be done.
It’s true that participating in the consumerist feeding frenzies of this season is a cultural experience in and of itself for many people, but ultimately, it has some far-reaching consequences. The economic and environmental downsides to constant buying and spending do not vanish during the holidays, just because we consider them a special time. The plastic that wraps a CD you got still ends up clogging a landfill, all the dishes you clean after large gatherings centered around meals still need the same amounts of water to clean, and those elaborate lights adoring your house still drive up your utility bills, even if they do look cooler than the neighbor’s.
Countless pages have been written, and thousands of bad TV movies produced, about how we need to focus more on spending time with our loved ones during the holidays, and less with the people standing on either side of us in a line at the mall (though they could always make for some fantastic conversation). How many of us actually heed all of that advice, though? The winter holiday season, it is true, is blown into the major event that it is because of corporate encouragement. The image of Santa Claus as we know him today is the result of a marketing campaign by Coca-Cola in the 1930s, though they are quick to insist that his famous red-and-white wardrobe was actually devised by famous cartoonist Thomas Nast decades earlier.
Cynicism aside, the holiday season doesn’t have to be all about expensive presents and cheesy decorations. In fact, de-emphasizing those things and simplifying the holidays wouldn’t be the worst way to add some more sustainable practices to your life.
There are obvious, well-known ways to cut down on consumption and waste-production over the holidays. For some people, it’s actually standard practice to forgo wrapping paper when giving presents, instead opting for old newspaper. You could also consider not wrapping a gift at all, because let’s face it, the mystery of what’s under that thin layer of paper with your name written on it kind of decreases in fun as you get older.
If you still feel the need to compete with your neighbors over who has the most ostentatious display on their front lawn, maybe consider ways to do it that don’t take enough electricity to power Mecha-Godzilla’s morning jog. At the very least, take some advice from Eartheasy (scroll down to “Lower the impact of holiday lighting”) and string up some LED lights. That way you can save some energy while still showing off your inflated holiday spirit and making old-timey air-raid wardens spin in their graves. That same page also has some ideas for how to have a sustainable Christmas tree, if that’s how you celebrate.
Regarding food, don’t forget whatever sustainable eating habits you may have already developed. Whether you’re making latkes or cookies of varying shapes, don’t skip out on whatever local and/or organic ingredients may be available. Also maybe consider not baking that extra batch for the chubby home-invader. Presents or not, people need to stop encouraging him.
Not that you were looking for permission, but go ahead and have fun this holiday season. That’s what it’s here for (that, and to justify the existence of Hallmark). But don’t get so caught up in the material and commercial aspects of it that you forget about all those more sustainable habits you’ve been working on. They’re helpful any time of the year.
– Ben
crimson.blue.green 
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