This is the season where we are drawn to anything that twinkles. Sparkly holiday décor is nostalgic for many, but is it really what we are truly seeking? This time of year, we may simply be craving the light and warmth that it attempts to emulate.
Alas, all that glitters is not gold, but it may in fact be plastic. A hundred years ago, instead of faerie lights, hearths and candles were lit. Crystal bowls, wine glasses, windows and metal pans reflected and refracted the fire’s glow.
Most attempts to mimic the cozy feeling created by natural elements seem to fall short. Glitter-shedding ornaments, tinselled trees and fake snow have limited appeal and are a nightmare to clean up once the carols have been sung and ball drops in Times Square.
Many countries still celebrate the holidays with simple, natural decorations. Scandinavian winter markets are filled with wooden elves wearing felted hats, beeswax candles in glass holders, and folded paper tree ornaments. Danes even have their own word for the warm ambience created by going back to celebrating the way our great-grandparents did. Hygglit evenings are typified by candlelight, good company, homemade feasts and low-tech entertainment.
This season, you can bring in more of the natural, and say “humbug” to plasticized counterfeits.
With all of our recent storms, there is an abundance of evergreen boughs to be gathered and twisted into wreaths or tied onto banisters. Simple table centres can be fashioned by drilling a few holes in a thick branch and inserting the tree fall; adding splashes of holly, pinecones, rosemary, dried flowers and figurines in your holiday deco box completes the look.
If old lights are on their way out, choosing LEDs to replace them cuts energy consumption by 80per cent and lights last 10 times longer.
Christmas wrapping has even gotten glitzy these days, and that often means it is no longer simply made of paper. Wrapping with glitter or a metallic look is usually achieved by adding plastic, and thus making the recycling of it impossible.
So, skip the cheesy gift cards and overly shiny paper and get creative. You can make wrapping a part of your gifts by using a scarf or dish towel or scrap fabric and the Japanese method of folding called furoshiki. You might end up with a work of art that you may not even want to unwrap.
Kids’ art work is another fun way to package presents, as is sheet music and old calendars. If you have time and the inclination, you can skip wrapping altogether by creating clues that lead the giftee around the house on a treasure hunt.
This year, skip the bling and go for the real thing!
Let’s Talk Trash is qathet Regional District’s waste reduction education program. For more tips, search for the Let’s Talk Trash Holiday Green Guide at LetsTalkTrash.ca.
