Holidays-sadly also trashy days.

There is an array of holidays out there.

Religious holidays, national holidays, cultural holidays, -got turned into something else and no one really knows what their true meaning was-holidays, just for fun-holidays, patriotic holidays, because it’s fun for the kids-holidays,…

There is a long list to say the least.

And I really don’t want to suck the spooky, jolly, egg-searching, champagne-popping, firecracker-lighting fun out of the whole concept,

but let’s be honest,

most holidays are trashy, trashy little suckers.

Candy wrappers, balloons, single-use cutlery, streamers, confetti, candles, banners, mountains of cards for every occasion, masses of food that get thrown away, cheap costumes and make up, wrapping paper, ribbons, fairy lights and carved pumpkins,...

And again, there is a long list to be written.

All of these things are a part of the holidays in our industrial, wealthy nations.

And if you bring these facts up and their major disadvantages for the ENVIRONMENT and in turn for US as well,

a lot of people get offended and defensive.

You get answers like: “Yeah, but me not celebrating is not going to change anything.”

“That’s a little extreme, don’t you think?”

“You’re really overreacting.”

“I don’t even buy that much stuff.”

“I can’t stop living my life.”

“I only do this once a year.”

Even if you try to get your point across in the most, polite, objective, carefully worded way,

there will always be many people that start arguing with you and label you as an annoying, not-fun lecturer who better be put on the: don’t invite back-list.

That’s like having ten people at a party who have to drive home afterwards.

Only one of them is sober and gets mocked and laughed at by the other 9, although that one person is the most responsible, will most likely get home safe and will probably have to help out some of his drunk friends by the end of the night.

And like that one sober person, being conscious of your waste and consumerism during the holidays, does not mean that you can’t have fun or celebrate.

I don’t know what it feels like for you, or which type of person you are in this scenario,

but for me, all of these decorations and those items that are trash after being used once, are not appealing to me at all (which is another thing, all of that plastic and decorations etc. is trash on our planet, no matter if it’s in your house, on a shelve in a store or in a landfill).

For me these items are not part of my holidays.

And I like that better. It’s not a conscious decision I have to make every time, I just do what I do and that is: not buying these sorts of things, getting creative and using alternatives.

And that doesn’t mean you’re missing out, that doesn’t mean you should be labelled or made uncomfortable.

It means you are doing something that is normal for you and that is better for the planet. You’re just not doing the way that is ingrained in our society nowadays.

People don’t see this “buy and then throw-away” mentality as something ‘bad’, it’s just what people do for these occasions.

And there needs to be a new normal.

But that can’t be forced, it needs to come organically and people have to realize why they should be doing things differently.

It has to come from an understanding, educated place.

And I don’t know about you, but my preferred way of starting into a new year is not by: lighting fireworks, having bags of trash filled with decorations, balloons, paper hats, streamers, cut outs etc., smelling smoke filled air and seeing streets littered with empty firecrackers and garbage the morning after.

It is so unnecessary poisoning our own planet and polluting it with so much smoke, that in Germany alone this amount corresponds to about 17 percent of the annual vehicle particulate emissions in the ONE NIGHT that is New Year’s Eve.

So when we go out into the streets in the morning WE and every plant and animal is breathing in the smoke and toxic dust that we have shot up into OUR OWN atmosphere the night before, just to see some sparkling lights in the sky, which we already have - they’re 100 % natural, toxin free, don’t cost a thing – and are called STARS.

Does that make sense to you?

Why do we do that?

And the scary thing is that some people have no idea or really don’t care, what kind of a monumental impact these actions have.

Because after all, it’s just once a year, right?