For a greener Christmas

Christmas is just around the corner, and we are all caught up in last-minute shopping looking for gifts for relatives, friends, coworkers, bosses…

Of course, these days we also think about what to prepare to eat for lunches and dinners and to organize the long-awaited aperitifs with friends. In addition, we also think about those friends who drop by to bring a gift and to greet us, and to whom we must offer something as a sign of politeness and friendliness. Our home should be decorated with a tree, a warm nativity scene and lots of lights to best feel the Christmas spirit. However, we risk leaving out an important issue in today's society: Christmas must be GREEN. And it must be for us, for our pets and for our planet that is suffering so much due to climate change.

As for the Christmas tree, first and foremost, we need to think carefully about how to choose it and whether we prefer it synthetic or real. The tree is certainly the most characteristic element of the holidays, but it is important to consider what our habits are and to consider that, unlike a synthetic tree, a real one needs to be watered and cared for throughout the holidays, and then transplanted to the garden or put in a large pot on our terrace. There are also associations that take back used trees and sometimes, instead of planting them, they use them to create furniture or to make fir infusions. In some cases, Christmas trees can also be planted in a natural area, so that new green traditions can be passed on to future generations in the family.

Let's not forget, then, the fateful Christmas gifts. This year it is better to give gifts that are truly useful and long-lasting, preferably leaving out products with plastic or overly bulky packaging. It is wonderful, instead of opting for useless gifts, to donate to one of the many associations that care about the environment or to buy only gifts supporting fair trade and small stores. These are true green gifts, increasingly appreciated within a society where waste and pollution are the order of the day.

It is exciting to make our home an ideal Christmas environment, but it is best not to buy new plastic Christmas balls and decorations every year, but rather to reuse the decorations we already have at home. We can also make eco-friendly Christmas decorations using recycled materials because reuse is the watchword of this Christmas. For example, paper from old newspapers can be used to make origami to hang on the tree or we can make fancy decorations with crepe paper.

As for food, for a truly eco-friendly Christmas, let's say no more waste. Let's prepare our Christmas menus ahead of time and let’s have fun creating zero banquets miles by calculating the number of our guests and estimating as objectively as possible the amount of food that will be needed to please everyone. If something is leftover, we should freeze it in mono-portions or we should give guests the food to take away and consume in the following days. Even if we spend our parties at a restaurant, we should ask the waiters for it so that we do not waste leftovers.

We should use energy-efficient light bulbs to light our home so that we can have energy savings of 50% to 80%. A small gesture like this can really make a difference. And let's not forget that turning off the lights when leaving the house minimizes the risk of fires; this, considering that we spend many hours with friends and relatives, turns out to be a dutiful action especially during the holidays.

Traffic in our cities increases tremendously during the Christmas time, but it is so nice to experience the historic center during the holidays, and we cannot give up taking a walk there on Christmas Day. Let's try not to use the car or, alternatively, let’s choose the bus or the bicycle; and in addition to saving our planet, we can avoid obnoxious fines and enjoy the holidays without the annoying car noises.

Of course, we meet a lot of people during this period; many people come to visit us, and sometimes we are the ones visiting friends and relatives. This leads, inevitably, to an increase in our waste. Recycling is essential; be careful to do it between toasts! This is the first step in taking care of the planet.

And what better way to spend a green Christmas than donating or helping associations like WWF? An alternative way to spend the holidays can be to visit nature oases, parks, or areas where we can learn how to care for the planet and discover areas that often hide real treasures. Moreover, taking a walk in nature calms us down, makes us feel better, and gets rid of calories accumulated from Christmas lunches and dinners.   

Translated by Praticò Denise.