When I was growing up, things were different. No, I don't mean the price of gas or a candy bar, although those have changed, too. What I mean is that I have gotten pretty far away from my family's traditions, of which there were not many.
I was raised by a single mother and never got to enjoy the benefit of my father's rich heritage. My father was Jewish.
I was brought up Christian, for the most part... and we celebrated the usual Christian holidays as well as whatever National holidays the US decided to add to our calendar over the years.
Some of our traditions were priceless. For example, my mother was such an exquisite gift-wrapper that people hated to open the presents she gave them: they were THAT pretty. Alas, she did not pass on this talent nor any of her others in the artistic realm. I don't know if she never had the patience to teach me or if I just don't have what it takes... but I miss my mother's gorgeous combinations of paper and ribbon, as well as the incredible bows she made.
Probably related to the first tradition is the second: saving the wrapping paper and bows for future use. We did NOT rip it all off and throw it in the garbage afterward. We painstakingly and carefully opened our gifts so as to preserve the paper to be re-used. I did not realize what a "green" concept this was in those days, however. My family was not particularly environmentally aware.
My husband's family, by contrast, are rippers and shredders. It took me years of swimming against the current to adapt and I finally gave in and joined them, becoming a trasher. And I am now ashamed. I should never have crossed that line.
I am vowing this year to return to my roots and begin recycling my paper and ribbon as much as I possibly can. I know it will not all be salvageable, but the number of trees it takes each year to feed Christmas blows my mind. Not just the trees for you to decorate, but those that gave their lives for the beautiful multicolored paper which, more often than not, contains no recycled content.
I challenge you, likewise, to be "greener" this year and like me, save as much of your paper, gift bags and boxes for future use as humanly possible. Let's see how SMALL we can make the "day after" piles at the curb this year. (Although I think the economy and lack of funds to buy so much will assist with THAT!)
Also, when you're shopping for gift wrap: look for paper which has recycled content. 100% would be fabulous - but ANY recycled content is better than none!
For more ideas, see:
Recycling Your Christmas Cards, Paper, etc.
And the following page will likely change after the holidays, so you may want to copy it into a Word file for safekeeping:
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Comments: 43
Yes I had the same experience with saving the paper and bows when I was a kid but today, and I'm ashamed to admit it, we do what everyone does. Wad it up and throw it away. I also remember in those days (war days) that we would cut the top and bottom out of food cans and insert the two in the can and then lay it on the floor on its side and step on it to flatten it. Then into a box dedicated to can collection and when it was full we would take it [somewhere] to be used for the war effort. It was a good idea then and it should be a practice today. Too much "stuff" goes to the land fill. I am going to try and be a little greener this coming year. Thanks for making this a subject of our chat.
Bible. Then the kids deliver the presents to the adults and after that they are allowed to open theirs. Teaches a little respect for elders which seems to have gone by the wayside in todays society.
After all that we EAT. Whoopee
I should have said how are YOU this morning?
Is there any way to edit a comment after it has been posted?
Thanks for stopping by, J.
Harrel, I think they can't allow editing of comments because it could cause chaos, LOL. The only thing you can do is copy the text, paste it into a new one, edit the new one and post it... then delete the original, flawed comment.
That's too much work. Enjoy! Don't let typos steal your joy. LOL
Lydia, are you still favoring Ron Paul?
Our own traditions of Christmas are not to make too much of it. I made it a point to give some gifts before and after Christmas rather than everything at once. Our celebrations are much more casual. In that way our expectations for the day can be pleasant but we don't expect perfection and delight all day long.
I think some of the dissatisfaction with Christmas and the depression associated with the day are in part due to the pressure on parents to make the day perfect for the children. When the kids aren't constantly delighted, the parents get grumpy and resentful. They think, "I worked so hard and went to all this trouble and they don't appreciate it at all." The kids, who have been expecting to be delighted all day find that they have a few moments and then, well, it's so ordinary. It's not as much fun as they expected. So they get grumpy. The husbands watch football while the wives work like slaves to make the meals special and clean up the mess. Then the parents start thinking about paying the bills for all that joy and their financial situation worries them. Plus, there's a minimum of daylight and that depresses a lot of people regardless of what else is happening.
So we set ourselves up for stress and unhappiness by expecting the day to be perfect and feeling the pressure to make it perfect (create bows for those packages that they will save forever because they are such beautiful artistic masterpieces) for everyone else. It's supposed to be a religious holiday for contemplation and quite joy, not a gut busting, orgy of consumer irrationality. Or at least that's what I was taught.
But then I'm not in retailing.
What has this got to do with CHRISTmas and "green"?
I am making a lot of things for family. My sister inlaw M, will be getting a compilation of all of the pictures I took of her family on DVD. My Dad's girlfriend will be getting a couple of doiles that I have been working on. My Dad is getting a scarf I knitted from some of his old sweaters and also my brother will get the same. My other brother will get some knitted caps made from my old sweaters. The neices and nephews will be getting educational toys, the grandchildren got the Vtech console last year, this year they will get more educational games to go with those. My oldest daughter will get the Sony Cybershot. My second daughter will get something not sure what yet. My son will get the knitted caps like my brother. My Son inlaw will be getting black coal. And, as for me I have given myself so far: a body massage, new fingernails, and permission to have fun. There are more people, but I have not figured everything out for them yet, but I will (lol).
I am using old bags that I have recieved from shopping that I can re-use as wrapping.
Omg, it just started snowing. Got to go
Live green everyone, and remember it is a time to experience the joy of the season.
Keep on going on ;-o
Larry, you are so wise.
Marty, thanks for stopping by!
Harrel, you have a songwriter's soul.
"Seems like the more I try to be perfect, the less perfect I become. God only knows how far from perfect I am but the need to try is still there."
That's tuneworthy.
Chuck, if it's anal or cheap to be frugal and not wasteful... to be a good steward of the planet... then I wish we were all more anal and cheap.
Kimber, that's great! I wonder how many cities do that mulch exchange thing?
Deborah, this site says that we produce one million tons, but I couldn't find any other refrences.
I had no idea you could "re-knit" sweaters!
Can I come over? I miss snow.
: (
Yes come on over, the fire is going , the cocoa is hot and I have home made applesauece for my morning oatmeal. Life is good
Keep on going on ;o
Keep on going on ;-o
Deborah, I was joking that I was headed out to hitch a ride up there to snowville.
I was brought up in a differ a little different. I had my father and his family around me. The things I remember about Christmas was the family gatherings. We always went to my dad's family Christmas eve afternoon and then to my mother's family that evening being back home for Christmas at home. Over the years this has changed with my parents families getting older and passing on, and out and having our own family's. Now with the kids that have to split up holidays with their family's and living so far away. I always remember Christmas a time for family not the gifts but having my family around. This year is my first with out a parent. My 2 sons will not be able to come home and we will be alone for the Holiday. Kind of sad but that is not what Christmas is all about. Christmas is a time to give thanks for all we have had in the last year. We live in a marvelous world that allows us to communicate with out loved ones even it they are half way around the world. No matter how far we ate apart phones and computers keep us in touch.
I don't know if I told you or not but my nephew is the Pastor of the church and President of the College. My niece plays the piano, my other niece sings in the choir and her husband and their two sons also sing in the choir.
Several years back one daughter had one request for Christmas. She wanted her present wrapped in real wrapping paper. I did it for her and she grinned so much! So much for being green!
This year we're ordering things on line and having them sent to her. That way there is less shipping to add fumes to the air and it is frankly much easier for me.
Thanks Harrel. I might check it out if I can sit still long enough, LOL
Yes, Trish... shopping online in its own odd way is "green" too!
Have to tell you that you sounded alot like me.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
I started using gift bags before they were really popular. The family has one bag that has now gone back and forth over 15 years and, I think, it is still the same tissue paper stuffing it.
We also recycle bows on wrapped gifts, though we avoid them altogether with gift bags.
The biggest point here is the ease of cleanup. Unless the dog gets into the bags, they tend to be in one piece and already folded. One big bag holds all the smaller ones ... compact storage.
We also cycle decorations between households. When the kids want a craft project, we add to the available inventory and try to channel it into an area that has the least inventory.
Our biggest "green" component is using fun "food" as gifts for the individuals who don't need something. Fruits, marmelades (and, yess, chocolate) are consumable. They are fun. We don't need to store them for long. They are splurges for the recipients. "Donations in the name of ..." haven't caught on yet, but I am hoping they will grow.
: )
Wow, Sherrie. It's hard to imagine what your granny used that water for...
Good job, Stacie!
Margaret, thanks for taking the time to drop by. Sounds like you had a good day!
LaRue... it never occurred to me that the paper could mean that much to someone. You should write a story/article about that.
Great bunch of ideas, Debra.
Thanks for dropping by, Kirk!
I had heard of that, Jessica... but didn't realize that it was a currently practiced custom. I thought it was "from olden days" LOL