Do your Christmas shopping harm the planet?

We are pushing our planet to its limits for the sake of some fun parties.

The empty calendar boxes that suggest a relaxing autumn disappear when the November page is pulled. In December we go from gusts to a real snow storm that quickly falls on our family in heaps of snowstorms. The short days before Christmas are full of jam, but I also love them when they leave me exhausted. Every holiday and final touch makes the season special, even more now with the children to share with our nostalgia.

What I don't like are the piles of rubbish left behind and the snowdrifts of guilt blown through joy. Where do all these things come from? Where will all this garbage go? And was there anything really necessary or appropriate during this sacred season?

Christmas consumerism and its environmental impact have become a rope on which we walk, especially with young children, and this year I'm afraid to look down. We are pushing our planet to its limits for the sake of some fun parties, and I can't say it's OK anymore.

Catholic social teaching calls us to take care of the environment. The seventh teaching, taking care of creation, reminds us that the love of God is reflected in all creation and therefore we must commit ourselves to love, respect and actively take care of this creation. The way we celebrate Christmas does not always support this teaching and it is up to us to truly respond to this call.

I have struggled for a long time to balance my Christmas shopping list with the true meaning of the season and have looked for ways to make and package gifts responsibly, keeping in mind the well-being of our planet. I haven't always been able to. Our house is full of plastic toys and small trinkets that my kids won't be leaving soon, and although I have several rolls of holiday wrapping paper in my penthouse, I always find myself buying more when I see a good one. affair or a cute model.

I'm not ready to call it completely out of Christmas presents, but this year I'm ready to downsize, make better choices and shape a healthier attitude towards Christmas consumption. I want it for the good of the Earth and all its inhabitants, especially our children who will inherit the obligation of its care.

The year 2019 marked a particularly difficult year for the environment. The record-breaking heat waves and forest fires raging across the Amazon should put everyone on hold. Climate change is real and man-made. Where will Santa Claus live when the North Pole melts?

Yet we want more, we expect more, we buy more, we wrap it and we give it as well-intentioned gifts. And then one day it ends up in the trash.

According to Conservation International, we discharge nearly 18 billion pounds of plastic into the oceans each year. There are islands twice as large as Texas that float out there. I think it is time to sit down and have a little heart to heart with ourselves, with each other and with Santa Claus and consider some alternatives to our current traditions of giving.

There are so many ways we can ethically make gifts and celebrate Christmas in a fun and loving way without getting caught in the consumer trap and without contributing so much to our carbon footprint.

Our kids expect Santa to move in the fall to pick up sleeping or overgrown toys. They also expect some of their gifts to be gently used or reused. Elves are good at fixing things and making them new again.

Christmas morning is super fun but also practical. The socks are padded. . . more socks, of course, and other necessities such as underwear or toothbrush. We give books and experiences and homemade papers. There are toys but not in excess, and we try to be aware of the environmentally friendly brands and those with sustainable materials and packaging.

Shopping holidays, endless sales across the store and the ease of Amazon.com are hard to give up, don't get me wrong! One way to feel better about your choices is to buy local.

Consider skipping Black Friday sales and waiting for small businesses on Saturday. Small businesses are essential for our local economies and in particular our communities. Our neighbors work there and take advantage of it when we shop with them. They can offer unique products not available in department stores or in typical shopping center chains, and they can do so without high levels of waste.

Handmade and vintage gifts are also fantastic to consider at Christmas, made by yourself or found somewhere like Etsy.com. These gifts are less likely to end up in the trash as mass-produced or poorly manufactured.

Another idea is to give gifts that encourage others to take care of the environment. I have given reusable shopping bags, houseplants and ecological beauty products which are always a hit. Homemade meals or a community-supported farm pass are great for gourmet friends. Composting kits, a beekeeping class, a bus ticket or a new bike can help to reduce carbon emissions in a thoughtful way.

Whatever you give, think in terms of "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" and get creative: the possibilities are endless! And if you have nothing else, remember the drummer boy. He had no gift to bring before the baby Jesus, but he came anyway, playing his drum as best he could, offering his talents before the Lord. This is the best kind of gift we can do sometimes.

It's not just gifts that need a sustainability review; there are many other creative ways to bridge the gap between consumerism and environmentalism during the Christmas season. Invest in an artificial tree or a living tree that can be planted, along with LED lights. Buy antique shops for decorations or create your own. Wrap the gifts in bags for newspapers or food.

Think about your food choices during the holiday season and the implications they might have on the environment. Just as shopping locally can help, as does eating locally. Today meat and local products may seem more expensive, but by reducing food miles, environmental impacts are also drastically reduced.

It is understandable to think that our changes will not matter in the long term, but through self-reflection and education we can create a better path for future generations.

By modeling common sense about our purchases, we can teach our children to respect the Earth and their belongings. The ball is rolling; we are the generation that makes it move instead of the one that buries it under a pile of plastic. The benefits of replacing our holiday habits can still create priceless memories worthy of Christmas nostalgia to be passed on to future generations without the ecological burden.

Consumerism and greed can easily walk hand in hand, but I will not say that this is always true, especially at Christmas. Yet we have become desensitized to a disposable culture. Many of us are influenced by intense holiday marketing campaigns and expect too much of ourselves (or perceive that others expect a lot from us). These misinterpretations have become a winter mix, blurring what started as a generous spirit and which led to dangerous conditions for our souls, our descendants and our planet.

I will not judge your decisions, but I urge you to make good choices for the most precious gifts that God has entrusted to us: our children and our Mother Earth.