Real Holiday Spirit

Posted by Shirley Siluk Gregory Dec 4, 2007

While I've been thinking about how to prepare for the coming holidays and what to give the people who mean most to me, I've discovered an interesting thing: the greener I get, the more meaningful my holiday celebrations have become.

When it comes to gift-giving, for example, I find that I spend more time quietly reflecting on the things my friends and family members would most need and appreciate. I also focus more on ways to make those gifts environmentally friendly, whether they're fair-trade, carbon-neutral, recycled or homemade. As a result, I discover I'm less likely to experience the negatives most people associate with the holidays: overflowing shopping mall parking lots, long lines at cash registers, obnoxious canned "holiday" music and junky gifts that no one either wants or needs.

In making a greater effort to work with what I already have and plan for celebrations that are both simple and eco-friendly, I've also found that the holidays are more stress-free and lighter on both the planet and my pocketbook. That's helped me to enjoy the holidays more for the reasons they should be enjoyed: to reflect on and give thanks for the blessings in my life, and to make the most of them all, whether they're family, friends, health or happiness.

I hope that you, too, find that going green helps make your holiday celebrations more meaningful -- no matter which holidays you celebrate.