Think greener before you gift at Christmas

In the dark depths of winter, when the days are too short and too dark, Christmas and all its festivities offer a beacon of light, a reason to eat, drink and be merry.

But when did this all begin?

Gift-giving at this time has roots far deeper than modern Christianity. The Romans, never ones to miss the opportunity for a celebration, held Saturnalia holiday from December 17 to 23, honouring the god Saturn. Festivities included a sacrifice, a public banquet and gift-giving. Sound familiar?

The modern-day equivalent is the Christmas work party and gift-giving around the tree, but what about sacrifice? For many, the real sacrifice is their finances. The consumerist culture would lead us to believe that no celebration is complete without matching pyjamas, a new colour scheme each year, the entire Smyths catalogue under the tree, and a lawn that can be seen from space.

Living at odds with the planet 

We are living at odds with our planet, and while what we consume is made in the global south, we often distance ourselves from the price being paid in that environment in of frequently unsustainable and allegedly unethical practices. In a world that says buy, buy, buy, I can’t help but wonder why, why, why?

Every year, we add to the mountain of stuff we may not even use, want, or need. We are creating the environmental footprint of ogres at a time we should be seeking to tread gently on this overburdened Earth.

Recently, the UK Channel 4 Dispatches TV programme filmed undercover in one of toy maker Mattel’s factories in China. They reported that workers were very poorly paid and there were safety issues.

Barbie is still being put together by hand, but are these hands being paid or treated fairly? Mattel made a gross profit of $2.6 billion in 2023, and these allegations were an ugly look for a company that values beauty so much.

Mattel is not the only company to face such allegations about worker conditions either.

Need for a counterculture 

Christmas commercialism needs a counterculture, one that rebrands Christmas into something truly magically and accessible for all. And who better than women to create this change? After all, it is predominantly us who are the organisers and orchestrators of the whole affair which is Christmas.

Every family group has one chief matriarch, without which civilisation would crumble. These custodians of order need to establish a new order, one where gift giving is either practical, to charities, from charity shops or homemade.

Children need to become aware that Santa needs to give more to those in dire need, whether here in Ireland or in places of war like Gaza and Ukraine, and that means a shorter list, a less opulent list.

Santa also has no qualms with second-hand, and new apps like the Toy Library provide his elves with an exciting new and free way to gather toys.

Charity shops also warmly welcome toys in advance of Christmas, as this is when those who are struggling will be looking to buy.

And let’s not forget the considerable psychological benefits, as charitable activities trigger activity in parts of the brain that are linked to reward. It really does feel good to do good!

The gifts that I cherish the most are handmade. While bought gifts are often discarded or recycled over time, anything made with love has a higher value, be it a painting from a talented friend, a knitted hat from my godmother, or a foraged wild garlic pesto from my neighbour.

This year, family and friends can look forward (or possibly dread!) to an array of homemade gifts. The time is now to get started, be it propagating plants, wreath making, creating chocolate biscuit cake mince pies, writing personalised children’s stories, art, or knitting scarves.

Whether Christmas is a time to and tend to the grief wound left by those loved and lost, or to cherish new memories with your young family, it is your Christmas. To be done on your , not to be sullied by marketing ideas of what it should look like.

Stuff won’t make it magical, no matter how much money you sacrifice at the check-out. But time with those you love will.