Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas. I love seeing the look on my friend’s and family’s faces when they open the perfect present. I enjoy all of the winter activities like ice skating, making hot cocoa, watching Christmas movies and having Christmas dinner with my family. But what has always bothered me was the feeling that I have to spend as much money as I can to buy the perfect gift for everyone. Christmas over the years has become more and more about consumerism and excess. It goes against one of my strongest values, which is promoting sustainability. As much as I appreciate all of my presents, they aren’t things I would probably buy for myself, whether they’re made unethically, packaged in plastic or just something that I don’t need. When I look back on my past Christmases, what truly made me happy was the experiences I had with friends and family. I originally was going to make a Christmas Gift Guide, but instead I want to talk about things you can do throughout the month to show love and appreciation.
- Acts of Service
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Acts of service are a wonderful way to show gratitude to your loved ones. Whether it’s making dinner for your parents, washing your dad’s car, taking your sister to coffee or helping your younger brother with his homework, showing your friends and family that you care about them through small gestures can be really meaningful.
- Quality Time
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Like I mentioned before, spending time with friends and family make up some of my favorite holiday memories. I love traveling to see family for the holidays and spending time with people that I don’t get to see often. Quality time with others can be as simple as getting a peppermint mocha with your pal or it could be an entire day planned with your closest friends. I’m looking forward to going to Crown Center and ice skating this winter with my sister.
- Volunteering
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This is a Christmas tradition I intend to start. Many people like to volunteer at homeless shelters or soup kitchens, but you can find something that is important to you. In a season where we reflect on how lucky we are, it’s nice to give back to the community.
I’m not saying we should abandon all gift giving, in fact in a lot of ways it can be really fun. I just don’t think we should feel pressured to buy presents just to buy them. I know a lot of people, myself included, that love receiving thrifted presents. I also think that we can all try to be more thoughtful during the holiday season. Happy Holidays!