Here's How to Celebrate a Green & Glittery Christmas

Christmas is all about togetherness, thankfulness, smiles, cheer, and love. And of course, gifts to and from someone near and dear.  

The festival of Santa and a decorated tree doesn’t have to be a burden on the planet and its people. With a little thought, imagination and effort, we can reduce the environmental impact of the holiday season. 

Here are four tricks and tips that can help you have a GREEN SERENE CHRISTMAS! 

1. Not all that you gift has to be expensive: During this gifting season you can give more while spending less. All you have to do is give the gifting process a little thought, make it personal and unique. While our mind may veer towards the bright, shiny and costly items, we need to start appreciating things that show thoughtfulness, support the green, and think in the favor of local, etc. It can be a little candle set of someone’s favorite fragrance, or a little cookie pack that brings out the child in them. Just think! Here are more options for you to choose from.
    
2. Don’t waste energy: Rather than using traditional holiday bulbs that eat up a humongous amount of energy, try using Light Emitting Diode (LED) holiday lights as they use up to 95% less energy than the traditional ones. Plus it’s simply a waste of energy to leave the holiday lights turned on at night after everyone’s gone to sleep. It’s in the heart to feel the spirit of holidays and not for everyone else to see the extravagance. Try using soy candles or lanterns with an old-world charm, and feel the difference. 
   You can buy soy candles in lovely fragrances from Elemental right here.
   Beautiful pinewood lanterns from Ochre Naturals are available here.   
   
   
3. Say No to plastic Christmas trees: Although one might think that plastic Christmas trees are reusable, all of us know that we tend to throw them away after a year or two once they become less attractive. On the other hand, a live tree planted and breathing becomes just like a family member and is definitely a more sustainable choice. Even if discarded, it will easily be biodegradable unlike the plastic one that will be sent to landfills and will lie on this earth for a long long time.
   
   
4. Use green gift wrapping: Plastic tapes, bags, ribbons, and sheets, etc. cannot be a healthy option. Combine the emotion of love connected with gifting with sustainability and take a step towards a sustainable tomorrow. Wrap the gifts with materials like reusable fabric bags, newspapers, old calendars, old comic strip papers, banana leaves, and Japanese style-paper packing, etc to make them look truly one of a kind. 

Let’s show our family and friend that anything is possible, just a little thought is all you need!