Learning From our Losses and Thinking for our World This Christmas

2020 has been a very unusual year. We lost our socializing lifestyles, our freedom, our jobs and even our loved ones. In all these shortfalls, there were many lessons to be learnt.

We found out how our lockdowns were beneficial for the environment. We learnt to live on basics while in quarantine. We have learnt to protect our vulnerable and praise our frontline heroes.

Individuals from the general public have come forward to help each other more than ever. From delivering to comfort calling, we have been there for each other.

Let us continue and enhance this spirit of love and compassion in the December festivities, not only for ourselves but also for our future generations and the world we all share.

Small adjustments can make huge differences

1. Home-baked cookies instead of cards

This year we have decided to bake cookies for our neighbours and friends instead of sending cards. My daughter and I love baking and we are going to have some fun time together baking winter-themed cookies in view of reducing paper waste and sharing our home-baked goodies.

We will send the cookies in a plate and ask them to return our plate. It feels good knowing we are giving something that will be eaten and not thrown away.

2.Introducing new technologies to kids while preventing clutter

My kids love gaming. They have game consoles with games that go to waste once the child has completed all levels.

This year we are gifting a special kid’s coding membership to our kids where kids can learn to code and make their own games. There were many options online for this kind of gift, websites like Tynker, code a kid, coding kingdom and many more are offering such coding courses for kids where they learn to code making tycoons and Mods of their favourite games like mine craft and Roblox.

With this gift, we aim to equip our children with lifelong programming skills and reducing the tangible waste to the minimum.

3.Saving identical gifts for regifting

Last year my son had a superhero-themed birthday party and most friends and family gifted him his favourite superheroes. Out of 20, around 7 gifts were similar, so we just opened one of the identical ones and stored the others in the attic and now we are using them as gifts since last year.

Even my son had forgotten all about it when I showed him one as a birthday present for his cousin last month he was curious about where I got it from and really liked it.

4.Using last year’s decorations and relying on local shops

It is simply about making little alterations that create a ripple effect to produce a massive change. Every year I save last year’s decorations and then we get some of our favourite new ones but this year we decided to keep all the previous year's decorations and due to corona and my autoimmune disorder we didn’t go shopping for new ones Somehow the decorations kept increasing over the time, kids made beautiful stuff at school some local business gifted little decorations with their products and in the end, we had a beautiful tree without spending anything on the decoration and reducing waste to a minimum.

If you haven’t kept last year decorations, how about keeping some this year for next time to reduce waste.

5.Online gift cards

Every family has individuals who never like their gifts. We are choosing online gift cards for these difficult ones so they can get what they like online in view of reducing waste of unwanted stuff and the hassle of returning thus making everyone happy in these difficult times.

5.Zoom parties

This year we are having so many of our Chrisman’s parties online. Even though it is sad that we cannot see each other in person, there is still some brighter side to it. Thinking about the fact that we are doing this for ourselves and our community. In the process so much less food will be wasted, lesser electricity used, noise pollution will be minimal and above all, we will enjoy each other’s company without having to clear the after-party mess.