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

I love secret santa, it's a time to be resourceful and present a gift that somebody will enjoy. Elf on a shelf is entertaining for the little ones. Special Pj's and bedding are a bit silly but does it really matter when tis the season to be jolly after all???

If people stopped buying all the stuff they don’t need our economies would collapse. They’re built on a house of cards.

Tizliz

Balloons. Apart from the fact that I hate balloons, why is it suddenly fashionable to have decorative balloon arches? You can’t reuse them. How long do they last? Not recyclable, and dangerous to animals if they fly away. Anyone else here hate balloons touching them? Or am I strange?

I have a brother who has never liked balloons and didn’t have them at his birthday parties as a child and an autistic son who has always been obsessed with them. He can make balloon models as well as enjoying ordinary ones. They have always made an easy, cheap present for him.

I saw an advert for a Christmas Eve box for your dog , that sure takes the biscuit.

Cossy

Completely disagree ! You can do a Secret Santa and be environmentally aware ! Let’s just suck all the fun out of the festive season shall we ! We do our bit all year round, we also use recycled wrapping paper, try and buy eco friendly products all year and Christmas, buy Charity Christmas Cards…..by all means do what you need to do to keep yourself happy but in our house this year we will be having a real tree, bling bling decorations, Turkey with all the trimmings and as much fun as we possibly can !

No need yo be so dramatic. No one is suggesting 'sucking all the fun out of the Christmas Season', or not having trees and Christmas Dinner.

We are discussing small changes that might help keep Christmas enjoyable while not contributing in a major way to global warming.

Totally agree. Too many useless, unwanted things given at this time. Such waste. The planet is awash with plastic rubbish and just "doing your small bit" is not enough. There needs to be radical change now. And yes, I know we are only a small part of the equation, but it's time to act for future generations.

Instead of secret santa we're all bringing items for the food bank for our WI

Balloon arches are most often made with air filled balloons. Without helium they won't fly and broken latex biodegrades.
They should be disposed of sensibly so they can't hurt wildlife. Foil balloons should never be released into the atmosphere or tied to metallic ribbon. They should always be ties to a weight.

We have actually done the exact opposite and introduced Secret Santa!
We are a family of six, and every year have spent money buying gifts for everyone, spending a fortune on presents that are oohed and ahhed over on Christmas day, then forgotten about, by and large.
This year, we are just buying one gift, spending a decent amount of money on just one person.
It has been so,relaxed this year, only one gift to puzzle over - and no more tat!

Children were excluded from this - let's see how it works out?

We ask for wish lists well in advance. to ensure that all gifts are what people want.

I would like Christmas crackers with just hats and mottos.

lemongrove

Christmas Boxes...given to children on Christmas Eve and stuffed with presents that they don’t need.

Maybe the traditional gifting on Christmas Eve ONLY!! The ridiculous'buys' folks struggle to achieve nowadays is sinful! And anyway , exactly how many people now understand where Christmas has actually come from?! After all the true meaning wandered off into the wilderness long long ago........

Guess we all have a bee in our bonnet about something! Mine I’m afraid is the huge waste of money and damage caused by so many countries putting on these amazing firework displays for New Year.

All of the above, really. Life has taken a more serious turn, so many wasteful and frivolous things can be easily scrapped, the money saved can go to charities - and we can save a lot of time too.

The explanation can be that we'll have a simple, pared back Christmas, to be environmentally friendly.

I remember those twisty foil decorations Foxyferret.
We make spinners out of the foil cases from mince pies- 4 cuts down the sides, then bend one side of each cut out to make a windmill type shape and thread string with a knot in one end through a hole in the centre of the base. They spin well over a heat source or in a breeze and can be recycled afterwards.

With one group of friends I do a 'Charity Shop Secret Santa' - we set a price limit and wrap the gifts in newspaper to further disguise who gave what and save wasted wrapping. This benefits the charity shops, and if the recipient doesn't want their gift it can be given away to another charity shop, therefore being recycled and raising further money! Mind you we have had some lovely items over the last few years and always enjoy opening and sharing the cleverly chosen gifts.

what a medley of interesting fun ideas and miserably you-must-do-it-my-way. with barely a thought of why we give gifts/do the traditional things.
maybe we could concentrate on adapting what we do: to add to the joy and reduce the wastage.
someone suggested adapting crackers. how about an environmental hint instead of a lame "joke"? the best to be saved and used in the coming year.
i like choosing an actually useful present - a charitable donation if i can't think of one. my daughter gives her children useful things before bed on christmas eve (to focus the bedtime thoughts) eg new pyjamas for the winter season (not the same as christmas pyjamas!) and a toothbrush. and the box of tree decs include some we made together when she was a tot, and now some she's made with her own little ones.
but spare a thought for those who don't have a spare bed/room/loft to store things.
maybe christmas should be a time for sharing - ideas as well as "that cup of sugar".

At our work christmas party this year we decided everyone would buy a toy and we would donate them to the hostpital for the kids

I remember when I was a child, and possibly still goes on among friends, people would kind of exchange talents. So if someone was good at baking they might make a friend a Christmas pudding as their present, and that friend if good at crafts might give a home made Holly wreath in return.

It involved time, but not lots of money or plastic.

Particularly hate balloons Had one eye injury from blowing one up Most painful experience!

Bah humbug!

"Dost thou think that because thou art virtuous, there shall be no more cakes and ale?"

ooh twelfth night. hooray, some culture, do share.
and are some people, perhaps, saying that we need a "first night" for a start to the additional cakes and ale?
twelve days and nights of festivities: excellent. three months: excessive.

Lilyflower

"Dost thou think that because thou art virtuous, there shall be no more cakes and ale?"

This isn't about being virtuous. It's about facing up to the fact that we've been wrecking the bloody planet for decades and we now have to face up to reality and change our behaviour.

We started secret santa presents few years ago to save money on individual presents. As they tend now to be either drinkable or eatable it does not cause much waste. I try to buy the grandchildren clothes and a small present as I agree far too much plastic stuff for children these days .

This isn't about being virtuous. It's about facing up to the fact that we've been wrecking the bloody planet for decades and we now have to face up to reality and change our behaviour.

But why specifically Christmas? It is perfectly possible to have a really lovely Christmas with all the trimmings without condemning the planet to perdition or going to great lengths to do so.

When people condemn Christmas they are always complaining about 'other people' and never include themselves among hoi polloi, who buy plastic toys wrapped in plastic, intensively reared poultry, unwanted presents that are thrown away (no taking to a charity shop?).

From the dawn of time people have celebrated the winter equinox. It used to be with huge bonfires, heavy drinking and slaughtering vast quantities of animals in a way we now do not approve of. O horror, all those emissions, the cruelty, the waste.

What people do now I do not know, nor care much. As I said, a lot of people here telling us what 'other people do' that they disapprove of.

Things for sale that do not interest me I do not take any notice off. So the shops could be stuffed with plastic toys, or they could all be made of wrought iron, I wouldn't really notice.

I have my own code of ethics and spend on Christmas accordingly and we have a wonderful time.

If we cannot let our hair down and celebrate once a year, life would be pretty boring. Perhaps people would like to follow in the steps of Oliver Cromwell and ban Chrismas and make everyone go to work. In their offices, no sneaking around the ban by working at home.

I little too much virtue signalling on this thread