It amazing me how at this time of year the press like to jump on the eco bandwagon and talk about having a ‘green Christmas’ when in actual fact, this time of year is a nightmare for the environment. I’m not just talking about all the trees being cut down and covered in tacky bits of tin foil (although all that plastic and nasty chemicals can’t help), I’m not talking about the huge amounts of wasted energy powering the Christmas lights all over the world or the waste of wrapping paper that gets used once then dumped into landfill. I’m talking about all the money spent on useless presents that no one really wants. Parents spend up to £500 per child at Christmas. I’m not some scrooge who wants to cancel Christmas or anything but a little bit of sensibility would be nice. I’ve seen parents take their kids to toys-r-us with a trolley and say ‘what do you want?’ Now that’s not what Christmas is all about.
I know it would probably be a disaster to the economy but what would happen if people only bought presents for friends and family that they knew that person would really like? What if we stopped buying toiletries, perfume and DVDs and bought meaningful presents that people would treasure rather than add to the already dusty collection of stuff that will get used/watched once if you’re lucky? I hate Christmas shopping, not for the usual reasons but because seeing so many people milling around looking for something, some generic ‘that will do’ gift for some aunty they haven’t seen in years, is such a waste of time and money. I don’t know what has caused this need to spend either. Perhaps it’s just the commercialisation of Christmas these days; fifty years ago kids were pleased with an orange for Christmas. Whatever the reason, it has spoilt Christmas for me. For me, Christmas has never been about presents but has always been about having sausages and bacon and a turkey for lunch.
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