It’s this time of year again. We search for last minute Christmas presents.
More and more people celebrate the ‘Festive Season’ formerly known as Christmas: a holiday to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, who, in the eyes of Christians, is the son of God.
Why is Christmas popular to non-Christians?
Why is Christmas so popular and reaches beyond religious boundaries? Because it sells just about everything and is therefore loved by business owners around the world AND it allows us to express our love for each other. This makes for a great consumer festival where everybody wins – except the planet!
Buy less stuff ending up in landfill. Make gifts that matter instead.
But times are changing and thankfully so are attitudes. The increasing recognition of finite resources leads more of us to look for sustainable alternatives.
For presents which
- don’t cost the earth.
- boost local, small businesses.
- won’t end up in landfill within a short time after Christmas.
Ten last minute Christmas presents.
- Gift a voucher (issued on recycle paper of course) for a massage, a yoga session, a treatment, a haircut.
- Design a holiday.
- Buy tickets to performances: concerts – rock or classical, the circus, the theatre, the movies.
- Find a choir or singing coach and gift some singing lessons.
- Buy a gift card for a lovely dinner in a favourite restaurant.
- Create a map for a lovely walk in a park ending in a cuppa and maybe a piece of cake at a local coffee shop.
- If available in your vicinity give a voucher for a boat ride or a paddle trip.
- Buy tickets including accommodation for a festival.
- Buy vegan or vegetarian cooking classes to try something new.
- Give a voucher for a dinner at your place.
For more inspiration please check out my other posts about alternative Christmas gifts including donations to charities and this one about a green Christmas.
Take away quote
I reserve the right to evolve. What I think and feel today is subject to revision tomorrow.
Happy guiltfree shopping!
