Sustainable Living & the True Meaning of the Holiday Season

The holiday season is about more than just Santa Claus, latkes, and presents. It’s not even about sustainable living — though that does play a role. This time of year is for appreciating how wonderful life is and safely surrounding yourself with people you care about.

Right now we’re in the thick of the holidays. For many of us, that’s stressful, but reminding ourselves of the true meaning that this season carries makes all the difference.

Just for a moment, step away from the stress and remember what truly makes this the most wonderful time of the year!

Spending Time with Friends & Family

This year, the holiday season doesn’t feel the same. As we continue to battle a tragic health crisis, more and more families will spend the holidays apart. Although being separated from friends and family may not feel sustainable, living and celebrating remotely — at least for the time being — is not all that bad.

Zoom — as it has throughout most of this year — has taken center stage this season. With it, comes a variety of ways to spice up faraway festivities.

Celebrate with Food & Wine

If you typically share a meal with your loved ones during the holidays, you can easily keep that tradition alive with any video chat software. However, being in front of a camera for a long time — especially while you’re eating — may be offputting.

Instead, sharing a special moment together like a toast, a prayer, or simply recounting a fond or funny memory, takes a lot of the pressure off. Your family can enjoy the moment, then step away from the call to eat dinner, and come back later for some festive family fun.

Play a Game or Two

For many families, board games play a big role in holiday celebrations. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to play virtually, so your family can have festive fun even when they’re apart.

The simplest way to compete remotely requires each player to have their own game. Every time someone makes a move, the other players update their boards to reflect that move. While this works well for games without overly-complex rules — like chess — it gets difficult for more complicated games like Risk or Catan.

Fortunately, plenty of games offer mobile apps for remote play. Additionally, there’s a plethora of games available that are meant to be played virtually. Jackbox Games, for example, offers a wide selection of clever and entertaining games that will have the whole family laughing.

Connect with Distant Loved Ones

Being away from your loved ones for so long isn’t sustainable, but when they’re living far away, they can’t always make it to the holidays. When celebrating remotely, your distant friends and family can attend parties without having to make a long drive or buy an expensive plane ticket.

At the end of the day, holidays are better when spent with the people you care about. Whether you’re connecting remotely or seeing each other in person, make the most of the time you have with your loved ones.

Spread the Holiday Cheer

Sustainable living is at the heart of the holidays. More than just living an eco-friendly lifestyle, sustainable living means spreading your holiday cheer to your community as well as your environment.

As always, it’s critical that we keep the planet in mind this holiday season. It gives us the air we breathe and the water we drink. For this reason, we should do everything we can to combat climate change.

However, sustainable living is about more than just the planet. The concept also entails giving back to the community. There are endless possibilities when it comes to spreading the love to those around you.

• Donating to a charity is an easy way to support those in need.
• Socially-distanced caroling brings safety and joy to your neighborhood.
• Giving blood can save up to three lives per donation.
• Offering a masked smile spreads the holiday cheer wherever you go.

This season may feel different this year, but the holiday spirit is the same. Share the holiday cheer and be merry... but in a safe and responsible manner.

Good Tidings & Sustainable Living

The holidays are stressful, and we all know that. This year, take a step back and remind yourself why this really is the most wonderful time of the year.

Spending time with friends and family may be different, but there are plenty of ways to make the most out of a virtual celebration. And we can’t forget the humanitarian aspect of sustainable living. It’s easier than you think to give back to your community while keeping yourself and others safe.

This year has brought tragedy and uncertainty, but the holidays are a time to spread cheer and love. However you choose to celebrate, please do so safely.

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