What 'newer' Christmas traditions could be scrapped to help save the planet

I love the Elf on the Shelf! He just turns up mysteriously on the first of December and then every morning till Christmas. He’s famously cheeky, and can be found driving a toy car, on the side of the kitchen sink with a fishing rod made of pencil and string, tangled up in SpiderMan’s web or the Christmas tree lights, making snow angels in flour on the kitchen table, etc, etc. Little ‘uns love looking for him every morning and I don’t really see where damage to the planet comes in?

There’s a slightly creepy school of thought that has the Elf spying on children to check that they’re being good in the run up to Christmas. We don’t buy into that.

I’ve got to confess I gather up all the discarded cracker toys as well and stick them back in next year’s crackers. Sometimes someone actually takes that mini screwdriver set or tiny notebook home with them.

Maggiemaybe

I love the Elf on the Shelf! He just turns up mysteriously on the first of December and then every morning till Christmas. He’s famously cheeky, and can be found driving a toy car, on the side of the kitchen sink with a fishing rod made of pencil and string, tangled up in SpiderMan’s web or the Christmas tree lights, making snow angels in flour on the kitchen table, etc, etc. Little ‘uns love looking for him every morning and I don’t really see where damage to the planet comes in?

There’s a slightly creepy school of thought that has the Elf spying on children to check that they’re being good in the run up to Christmas. We don’t buy into that.

That was how the elf on the shelf originated. A mother in Georgia in the 1970s told her daughters he was flying up to the North Pole every night to tell Santa if they'd been good. And she would put him in slightly different places every morning to prove he had been out of the house.
I think her daughters wrote a book about it when they were grown up, and the Marketing people jumped in.

Things I would ban altogether as they are so bad for the planet they upset me:
* anything that goes up in the sky (balloons and lamps)
* plastic or foil wrapping paper (can't be recycled)
* glitter!!!!!

Beswitched

Christmas crackers could probably be modified. How many people actually use the plastic gifts inside? If they just contained a paper hat and joke and the whole thing was made of recyclable paper would it negatively affect anyone's Christmas?

Afraid to say we like the daft tat that comes in crackers - part of the fun of Christmas dinner. I only ever buy cheap ones. The ‘quality’ gifts* in more expensive ones are usually still tat anyway. And I don’t want chocolates inside - we always have more than enough of those in this house at Christmas.

*though we did once keep one of those mini screwdriver sets, which is useful now and then.

Actually, you can buy environmentally friendly Christmas crackers. There was a thread about them last year I think.

I often wonder if many people use those expensive boxed sets of toiletries, often complete with a sponge or a fancy soap dish, that only seem to be on sale at Christmas?

Or are they just regifted year after year?

Which I suppose is quite environmentally friendly

The balloon arch/tat trend infuriates me - so much waste and must cost a fortune too. Similarly with Elf on the Shelf - utter nonsense and would not have been entertained in this house! I have drastically cut back on present giving and son/daughter and their partners now get experience/getaway vouchers instead. I think so many people have lost sight of what Xmas should be about these days and try to outdo one another with the amount of presents/lights/decorations etc for their social media likes.

With family overseas, I’ve acquired quite a collection of Amazon gift bags. They’re being recycled, with new labels on. It has the added bonus of making gift-wrapping very quick - just pop the gift inside - needs no sellotape and is perfect for weird-shaped presents. Oh, and can be reused year after year!

I love the idea of a charity shop gift with a limit of say £5. Good for the charity shops, good for our pockets too. I remember getting a wine bottle holder in a Secret Santa and thinking what a useless object.

I got something last year that looked like a tiny hammock you'd put a doll in. I mean, who on earth thought that would be a good idea for a Secret Santa present? It was neither funny nor useful.

We had a £5 Secret Santa and I learned very quickly that one colleague always bought a Christmas tat present, everyone else put in simple toiletries or chocs. I used to watch her wrapping her tat and avoid it! Because of her, it soon died out.

Absolutely agree about halting all the plastic tut/battery operated toys etc. Not much point in wasting hundreds of pounds in gifts children don’t need or really want if their future is to be so parlous.

I started packing all Christmas gifts in boxes to ease wrapping eons ago. I saved all the family boxes, bows, ribbons etc and many are still reused 30 years later. The children used to gather up all the packaging and enjoyed sorting through to see what could be saved. It’s a standing joke now to see if anyone recognises the box!!

Is he a narcissistic controller by any chance

I just love Christmas and the traditions that goes with it. Same tree and decorations are brought out year after year. Maybe buy one or two new ones added every other year. I try to use only recyclable wrapping paper now . Gifts bags are reused and reused. I do have themed bedding and I have to admit a Christmas shower curtain. It’s fun. Everyone has a laugh. Tis the season to be jolly!

Well, I like the idea of Christmas Eve boxes! I bought 4 last year for my granddaughters aged from 12-21 years. They loved them as each returned them recently and asked me if I would do it again for them. I put in a Christmas mug filled with chocolates, a chocolate drink, special biscuits and a pair of fluffy socks.
This year I bought the mugs and socks in charity shops - all new. It’s just something for them to enjoy on Christmas Eve that’s all.

eazybee

Well, our Secret Santas used to be very amusing, with carefully chosen, appropriate and cheap presents. We were not amused when a senior manager decided of his own volition that we would instead donate to a charity of his choice, (particularly as many of us had already bought our witty, amusing and cheap presents.) and sent an envelope around for the £% donations. He also banned the sending of Christmas cards. Ignored.
You don't like them personally, therefore they must stop, under the pretence of Saving The Planet. Lot of that about at present.

My old office broke from tradition. Disaster.

Instead of our Christmas bonus ( £20 each as a voucher for a shop of our choice from a list) they decided they'd use the money for a staff buffet lunch. Bought the cheapest of foods, all put out at once so the people on second lunches just got the tatty remnants and then donated the rest of the money to charity. If people couldn't go at all due to work rosters it was tough.

I agree about balloons - we release them (with lovely thoughts)on someone's death, but how many more deaths do they cause?

We Always reuse all the old decorations, but i do try to add just one bauble each year, for something special though, like the year my grandchildren are born, or in remembrance of someone passing away or a special trip away (not added to to for 2years) it balances up as often there's a broken one at bottom of box.Try to use same artificial tree except last year for some odd reason we couldnt find it(maybe I'd donated very old one tofreecycle & forgot?) Anyway not adding to planet chaos this year, got another fake tree but going to keep it as long as possible, and got any wrapping paper & cards which can be recycled as usual.(even cards can be turned into gift tags or put in a frame) But secret santa's you would have thought would have gone right out due to possible covid spread.??

A close relation obeyed orders to the letter many years ago about not sending Christmas cards, for many years I still sent theirs. They were caught out when very unwell and wanted to tell me when they phoned I had moved in January they realised I had put the new address and telephone number on the card. I have since stopped sending them a card and considered sending only people I have not seen in the last 12 months.
Yet why cut out good friends who I have not seen regularly in the last two years and really matter they are the ones I want to wish a Merry Christmas.

I agree Nicaveron- i got some for 3 youngest of gc last year as i wouldn't be with them, i put in new pyjamas, & a nice book for them & some chocolate coins (which i usually give with their gifts anyway) etc, nothing plastic, and the boxes can be reused, i think their mums are refilling them this year, as i don't live near them)

Even the choc coin wrappers got washed & recycled.?

I don't decorate now I live alone and send a few cards to friends in distant places I don't get to see any more, it is the only way I know who is still alive and kicking!!
As a family in the past, we always saved wrapping paper and tags. My bag of Christmas tree decorations, now permanently in the loft, contains the same ones we used every year, loved for the memories they brought.

I did buy a warmer brushed cotton fitted sheet this year, but as its got robins on (&not just christmas things) I'm going to wash & reuse it all winter not just christmas.