Shhh..time to talk about the "X" word!

Do you know what the date is today?
Its the 24th of November which means..this time next month it will be XMAS (or Christmas/yule/whatever).

AH..tis the season to be jolly, spend loads of money, eat too much food blah blah.

By its very nature a modern Xmas can be a minefield for those of us who are trying to be green.
After all, its become an annual orgy of consumerisation, a glutton fest, a holiday that has lost any religious or seasonal meaning and is now only about how much money you can spend to keep up with the Jones's.

As you can imagine, we here at the (almost)car-less family do our best to shun the the money pit part of the holiday and as the clock is now ticking I thought now would be a good time to share a little of our green Xmas ideas and tips.

Presents
What would Xmas be without gifts!
I wouldn't DREAM of suggesting that presents should be forsaken for the sake of the planet!!
One thing we have learnt as an extended family is to ASK what people would like. After all who wants to receive ANOTHER basket of potpourri or novelty socks. Making sure everyone gets something they really want means there is less waste in the bin come new year.
Children especially can end up with huge swathes of junk.
Its easy to get carried away and try to bulk things up with lots of very cheap plastic toys.
I lost count of the amount of cheap presents the kids where given that where broken by lunch.
Now we try and work out three or four gifts they are really interested in and that are well made, then we ask Grandparents and aunts/uncles to contribute.
Also, never underestimate the impact of a homemade gift.
Anyone who can draw, write a poem, craft in wood or sew can easily make small tokens of affection for loved ones.

Tree
Oooh what a topic to divide people!
This is a toughie, there is no right or wrong answer, rather it depends on where you live.
If you live in a hot country where the traditional pine tree is not available then you need a fake tree. Although a fake tree uses carbon to make and is often made of plastic, you should theoretically never have to buy another tree again, so a couple of years down the line you should be into negative carbon!
If you love the atmosphere of a real tree in your home for Xmas then you could consider a potted tree you can either plant out or re-use.
In my opinion it is better to plant this tree out rather than try to use it again, trees are not meant to be kept in pots and you will be lucky to get 2 years out of it.
If you don't have the room to plant a tree out in your garden why not buy a cut tree and then sponsor a tree to be planted in a park or even in another country. This way you are replacing what you have cut down and also helping to grow important trees. Try somewhere like Sponsor trees to find out more.
Of course you could go all modern and forgo the tree all together, instead you could use a large fallen branch in a pot and decorated with lights to add a Xmasy atmosphere.

Food
The original Xmas dinner was a midwinter feast where the biggest and best of the food was consumed as an olden day cure for the winter blues, something to look forwards to as the wind and snow howled around the hut, it traditionally marked the shortest day of the year (21st December) and so let people look forwards towards the spring.
Although we no longer have to sleep above the animals in the byre nor save logs and potato's for the winter least we starve, we still love the marker that tells us we are are halfway there and still celebrate with a feast.
As vegan's we will not be eating the traditional meat dish but instead will have a vegetable and nut pie with all the trimnmings.
If you are a meat eater you can still enjoy ethical meat.
There are two routes you can go down.
Smallholders often sell surplus meat and this is often the most ethically farmed.
The preferable choice however, I feel, is wild shot game.
Venison or pheasant wild shot is the kindest meat.
The animal is reared in the wild as nature intended and a good marksman can shoot to kill, so the animal knows nothing of his impending death and the natural predator/prey balance is maintained.
Be warned though. The rising popularity of game means that it is readily available in supermarkets BUT this is not often wild shot, deer can be farmed and the same as cows and so you end up with the same welfare and environmental concerns.
For a change why not try some vegetarian choices for one or more of the meals over the festive season. Ideas can be found HERE and HERE to start you off.
Also, remember, where food is concerned go for quality not quantity. The average person puts on 7-10 lb of weight over the festive season, show a little restraint for your waist line and for the planet!

Waste
There will be some waste over Xmas. What is important is how you deal with it.
When presents start being opened make sure there is a bag or box set aside for paper suitable for re-cycling. Remove sellotape and avoid paper with foil and other non-paper embossing as they cannot be re-cycled. Of course you could make your own wrapping paper with colourful magazine pages and tie the parcels up with string, then you can re-clain the string to use again!
Cardboard can be re-cycled as well.
Anyone with kids will understand that most toys come with twist ties. Keep these and you can use them in your kitchen (for twist sealing bags for example) or in the garden later on.
Plastic containers that toys sometimes rest in can be kept for junk modeling or for using as paint pallets.

Food scraps can be divided into compostables and dog food (if you have a dog!). To be honest I compost nearly everything but if you have left overs like dairy and meat/bones you should dispose of these in your household waste to avoid rats showing an interest in your compost heap! Another reason to cut back on animal products!

If you plan your meals well you should have little in the way of left overs, but if you do try to use them wisely.
Roast veg makes beautiful boxing day soup, stir in a little of that left over cranberry sauce and you have all the taste of Xmas without the heavy meal in your belly!

With a little thought you can have a magical and enjoyable holiday without the guilt of consumerism sitting on your shoulders.

How about sharing some of your tips with us!