Eco-Christmas

“In the beginning was the Word…all things were made through Him….”  In a few weeks we’ll be hearing those familiar words from the beginning of John’s gospel.  We’ll be doing all sorts of things to celebrate the coming of Jesus, through whom the world was made.  And if we start thinking about it now, we can enjoy those celebrations with a clear conscience knowing we are damaging that world as little as possible.​

​Here are a few ideas you could consider.
Cards: Only send them to people you won’t see.  Use e-cards.  For friends at church, write your Christmas greetings on coloured circles which we will use to decorate the Jacob room (more details later).
Presents: Make gifts of your time rather than things.  Give an experience.  Give Charity gifts on behalf of others, available locally from the Oxfam shop or online from a number of charities.  Within a family, agree on token presents up to a fixed limit for adults. 
Wrapping: Use recycled brown paper, coloured natural string, tags made from last year’s cards.
Trees: Buy real ones which are organic or FSC certified, or re-use the artificial one you already have.  Or use a large plant, or a tree outside decorated with bird feeders.  Make your own decorations, or use those which have already been pre-loved, by you or someone else.  Use LED lights if possible.​

“The world was made through him, and the world did not recognise him.”  Let our Christmas celebrations show through our actions that we do!

There are lots more ideas available on the internet.  A good place to start is the “Living Lightly” section of the A Rocha website, which contains practical environment-friendly ideas for many aspects of life including Christmas. Friends of the Earth offer a variety of suggestions with their 21 eco-friendly Christmas tips. 
You might also like a blog post about Eco Friendly Christmas Trees and you could try the Forestry Commission for sustainable real Christmas trees
Although some of the ideas (and terminology) are distinctively American, How to Have an Eco-Friendly Green Christmas Holiday offers a concise set of suggestions which might inspire you. 
Organisations offering Charity Gifts include Christian Aid, World Vision, and Oxfam. All have choices from under £10 to £50+ covering a wide range of areas.