The Night Before Christmas!!?!?!

We have a Christmas Grinch in our house.  Well, that’s not fair really, because she loves Christmas, but she’s very grinchy about one aspect in particular; If she had it her way the decorations wouldn’t go up until just a few days before Christmas (OK it’s not the night before – but you get my drift?) and they’d come down pretty soon after as well. Luckily the rest of us say “pffft” to that and so begins the annual tradition of getting the decorations up before Glynis knows about it.  I figure it’s really a very clever ploy to get out of doing the decorating, but she claims she does enjoy putting them up… and that she knows the exact way the tree should be decorated. I’m not so sure.

But anyway, these good-natured ‘discussions’ (which have started already) made me think about the meaning of Christmas as I see it. And how the whole commercial behemoth that Christmas has become ties in, or more aptly, doesn’t tie in, with the sustainability ideas that we are getting into.   

What do I love about Christmas?

I’m an atheist and so many would ask why I’m into Christmas at all. Fair question I guess. I love Christmas for the thoughtfulness and selflessness it inspires, and spending of time together, especially with family. There’s also that Christmas spirit that infects the community and we’re all nicer to each other for a little bit.     

Would the real Santa please stand up?

I saw a great post on facebook recently that made me think about the idea of Santa from a whole new perspective. It pretty much hits the nail on the head for me.

Son: “Dad, I think I’m old enough to know now. Is there a Santa Claus?”
Not being the world’s fastest thinker, I stalled for time.
Dad: “OK, I agree that you’re old enough. But before I tell you, I have a question for you. You see, the truth is a dangerous gift. Once you know something, you can’t un-know it. Once you know the truth about Santa Claus, you will never again understand and relate to him as you do now. So, my question is: Are you sure you want to know?”
Brief pause. Son: “Yes. I want toknow.”
Dad: “OK, I’ll tell you: Yes, there IS a Santa Claus.”
Son: “Really?”
Dad: “Yes, really, but he’s not an old man with a beard in a red suit. That’s just what we tell kids. You see, kids are too young to understand the true nature of Santa Claus, so we explain it to them in a way that they can understand. The truth about Santa Claus is that he’s not a person at all; he’s an idea. Think of all those presents Santa gave you over the years. I actually bought those myself. I watched you open them. And did it bother me that you didn’t thank me? Of course not! In fact, it gave me great pleasure. You see, Santa Claus is THE IDEA OF GIVING FOR THE SAKE OF GIVING, without thought of thanks or acknowledgement. 
When I saw that woman collapse on the subway last week and called for help, I knew that she’d never know that it was me who summoned the ambulance. I was being Santa Claus when I did that.” 
Son: “Oh.” 
Dad: “So now that you know, you’re part of it. You have to be Santa Claus too now. That means you can never tell a young kid the secret, and you have to help us select Santa presents for them, and most important, you have to look for opportunities to help people. Got it?”

Pretty cool huh?

It also ties in with the story my Mum thought up on the spot to make me feel better when my best friend got a brand new Grifter one Christmas when I was about 7, and I’d got a 2^nd hand bike Dad had fixed up.  She told me my bike was Santa’s old bike!  Wonderful thinking and it made that bike a bit special (I was hoping it could fly like a reindeer but alas, no… Only for short hops).

Along those same lines I was once an adherent (I loved the idea but didn’t actually follow through that often) of the secret society called SSSSH. This was all about doing good deeds anonymously and leaving a calling card asking the recipient/s to follow suit. It was a great idea, but I think SSSSH has gone now. It could just as easily be linked to Santa, using the above reasoning.

The downside of all this giving.

It’s funny to think that giving might have a downside, but it totally can. Christmas has become massively commercial and people are spending a fortune on gifts and decorations and all the trimmings each year. Glynis and I have gotten into budgeting and as part of that, we had a close look at how much we spent on Christmas last year. Consequently, we’ve been putting aside money all year to pay for presents and the extra groceries based on last year’s spend. 

So, on the one hand, it’s cool that we’ve got the money ready to go, on the other, it’s pretty staggering how much we have put aside for this. And I don’t believe we go over the top.

We’re also trying to be more frugal here…

And then there’s our challenge of getting rid of 1000 things. We can hardly be trying to simplify and reduce what we have if we keep buying new stuff (that often we don’t even need). 

How does rampant commercialism affect sustainability?

If there is one thing for sure, Christmas in our part of the world is certainly not waste free. 

We all buy bits and bobs, and stocking fillers, and silly gifts and treats. These are often funny and feel good on Christmas morning, or at the Christmas party, but the vast majority pretty quickly end up in landfill.  Think of the amount of waste wrapping and packaging alone that gets created in most houses on Christmas day. And this commercialism comes at a cost (have a read of this great, if sobering article titled “The Gift of Death”).

If you’ve read more of our blog you’ll know that “I am the reason that landfills are toxic” and so it’s up to me to do something about that.

So…

What can we do to break out of the over-commercialisation? 

For one thing, buy less stuff. Or, make sure the stuff you do buy is meaningful, wanted and will get used. 

Buy less stuff

Glynis found herself spending too much, and buying too many presents, for her kids in the past and so last year pared it down to:

Something you want, something you need, something to wear and something to read. 

Luckily her kids see the sense in that and are happy about it.

Make stuff

Another way to go is to make things for people rather than buying.   Glynis and I have made a pact that we’ll make presents for each other this year. I’ve even already made one of the things I had planned and it’s a really nice feeling to spend the time making something that I hope she’ll love (most people will find it weird, what I’ve made, but I’m hoping it’ll tickle her fancy).

Produce stuff

You could also grow or produce stuff. The personal touch is always appreciated.  I’ve been harvesting sea salt and making other condiments.  Glynis has been making kombucha, jams and sugar scrubs. Anything like that can make a fantastic personalised small gift. And the fact that it’s made by you gives it that something special don’t you think?

Experience stuff

And then there’s the giving of experiences rather than stuff. Or give your time to take people on unique adventures. There’s quite a bit of research that shows that happiness comes not from stuff so much, but more from experiences (Click HERE to see more about that).  

Am I becoming a Grinch myself?

Is all this talk of less commercialism, spending less, making presents and giving experiences, making me sound like a grinch myself? I hope not. Will I still buy presents? Absolutely; I know, for once, what I’m getting Will and hopefully it’s something he will use and get pleasure from, and it’s a bought ‘thing’. I’ve got a plan to make something for Ted which I know he’ll love, and hopefully, he’s able to use. As for the rest… Dunno. I’ll probably splurge on something I shouldn’t really.  But I’ll try to be a little smarter. 

As for the Christmas decorations… I’m hoping they go up soon.