Sustainable Holidays
Confession: I used to dread the Christmas season. It felt like I never had enough money, time or energy for all that was asked of me. As a pastor, I had the added worship and church celebrations around the holidays. As a mother, I had school parties and teacher gifts, on top of family gifts, decorating, and sending out cards. As a person of deep faith, I struggled in my soul with how to resist the takeover of the holidays by a culture of materialism. Even when I made suggestions to my extended family and made my own efforts toward a more simplified celebration, my children ended up with more presents than they could count or their closets could hold. I was left exhausted and simply grateful when it was all over.
Holidays are an important and integral part of our faith life. These important dates commemorate foundational events that connect us to the ancestors of our faith and to our religious community. But the mainstream US culture encourages us to rush, be stressed, and go into debt for more and more stuff that does not last, bring us peace, or support the healing of the earth. In fact, high and unsustainable levels of consumption in developed countries is a primary driver of climate change and injustice. American food waste increases by 33% and the holidays create an extra million tons of trash per week during December alone. There is also an increase in travel, increasing pollution.
Holidays provide an opportunity to learn and teach, to pass down and start traditions, to deepen our faith and strengthen our relationships with family and friends. Consider creating new traditions like a holiday hike, volunteering for a local charity, a family art project, decorating a tree outside for birds and animals, or leading a skit such as “Climate at the Dinner Table.” When we mindfully plan and celebrate, holidays support our wellbeing and the wellbeing of the earth. As people of many faiths, we are invited to mindfully consider every aspect of our holidays and to honor the Creator and Creation through our celebrations. Happy Holidays!
One Home One Future offers resources to support making your holiday celebrations more sustainable. Join One Home One Future today for ongoing support and resources such as:
- Sustainable Holiday Checklist
- 8 Ways to a Sustainable Chanukah
- Journeying with Creation: Advent in a time of Climate Crisis
- Climate at the Dinner Table Skit Kit
- Hundred Dollar Holiday: The Case For A More Joyful Christmas, by Bill McKibben
About the Author:
Rev. Carol Devine, Blessed Tomorrow Director
Additional Resources:
Apply or Nominate: American Climate Leadership Awards 2025
Join the Campaign: One Home One Future
Mental Health and Our Changing Climate: Children and Youth Report 2023