University of Virginia Library

Conserve Christmas

By MARY ANN HUEY

Christmas is a dead pine tree
covered with blinking electric
lights and Styrofoam baubles
and precious aluminum tinsel.

Christmas is sending a
meaningless greeting card to
your first grade teacher who
probably thinks you were the
cute little blond in the first
row when instead, you have
dark hair and ruddy complexion.

Christmas is a package
wrapped in aluminum
complete with a plastic nativity
scene glued to the ribbon.

Christmas is an electric
toenail clipper for a friend who
has everything, but he gave you
something.

Review Spirit

Christmas American-Style
is a wasteful habit.
Conservation and simplicity
have been replaced by
excessive and commercial frills.
The old adage "it's the thought
that counts" has given way to
"it's the price and size that
counts."

This year, instead of
mindlessly perpetrating the
modern myth of Christmas,
re-examine your practices with
an eye toward preserving the
natural and unfettered spirit of
Christmas. If it isn't Christmas
without a tree, pot a living
tree. Call your local nursery,
and if they don't have trees
already potted, they'll tell you
how to do it yourself.

String cranberries and
popcorn on your tree instead
of aluminum tinsel and fake
holly. Hang candy canes, nuts,
and homemade ornaments on
its branches instead of
Styrofoam and plastic baubles.

Review your Christmas card
list and omit those whom you
send cards to only because
they send you one. Count the
number of your friends who
would appreciate homemade
cookies or candy or even a
phone call, and eliminate them
from your card list.

If you feel that you really
must send greetings to those
who are far away, buy cards
made from recycled paper.
Manufacturers of recycled
products deserve a break at
Christmas, too.

Quality Gifts

Santa Claus may be coming
to town, but he doesn't have to
bring plastic figurines and
non-functional gadgets that
will only be thrown out during
spring cleaning, if not, before.
And if you can't make gifts,
buy ecologically sound ones.
Give that notorious
paper-waster you know cloth
napkins and napkin rings.
Present your favorite beer
drinker with his first case of
beer in returnable bottles. But,
above all, give sturdy, quality
gifts.

On December 26th, when
you've filled five plastic
garbage bags with paper,
ribbon, cards, tinsel, and
assorted debris, remember, it
didn't have to be like that. You
could be in the woods feeding
the birds with popcorn and
cranberries replanting a living
tree in the earth.