Dubai is known to be a melting pot because of the large number of different nationalities residing in the city. Expat population is quite high in the city and people from all walks of life have come and have made their second home in this lovely city. And because there is respect and sovereignty towards all the religions, cultures, genders, Christmas is also celebrated with great excitement in the city.
The festive season has officially begun and many of you would have started to plan your vacations, holiday list etc.
How about we share some simple tips to make your Christmas sustainable and mindful without missing an inch of joy!
1. Reuse or Recycle your Christmas tree
Incase you have already invested in a good Christmas tree last year, reuse it. UAE is not a country where you can go real Christmas tree shopping because of the geographical reasons but that doesn’t mean you cannot enjoy decorating one. Discarding the plastic trees for buying new ones is just adding more trash to the environment.
2. Don’t invest in plastic ornaments and decoration
To make the tree and homes lively, people tend to keep buying new plastic ornaments for the tree and other decorations which are again, not the sustainable choices. Ofcourse the homes need to look Christmassy but that can happen with ecofriendly options or naturally occurring things. How about making a wreath at home, on your own with your family? It would be a great family bonding activity too. Use things like dehdrated orange slices , pine cones, cinnamon sticks , toys, gingerbread man as ornaments for your tree. Instead of getting plastic decorations, be creative and experiment with material which can be reused or simply add more indoor plants to your house to bring some festivities to home.
Useful links:
3. Send E- Christmas cards
Mailing Christmas cards is a fun tradition and it brings a lot of joy to family and friends and for those expats who plan to spend Christmas in Dubai and are not flying back might plan to mail the Christmas cards if you are the classic old school. Well they are going to generate a lot of pollution at the same time and are also not economical. How about recording yourself, wishing your family and friends a “Merry Christmas “ and sending them our instead as E-cards? More personal, fun and ofcourse free of charge.
4. Shop Local
Instead of buying gifts from the big brands, try buying gifts from local business in Dubai. A lot of markets happen all around Dubai over weekends where lovely home grown brands display their products, you never know what you might end up finding.
Some of the markets:
5. Be mindful while you host feasts for Christmas
People tend to go overboard when it comes to throwing feasts on Christmas. A lot of food gets wasted so it is extremely important we are mindful of food when it comes to ordering or cooking food, this festive season.
6. Book an experience with family or friends
Instead of the physical gifts, why not go for the experiential gift for someone you love. Book a fun class w like pottery, candle making, yoga, meditation, wreath making etc with your friend or family as a Christmas gift. The best gift, you can give someone is your time so it would be the perfect idea to celebrate Christmas mindfully.
Useful links:
7. Shop from Conscious brands
With the world getting more aware about the planet, there are a lot of conscious brands coming up offering an amazing list of products. So, it is better to invest in great quality products that last. On the other hand, there are a lot of brands in the market offering low price, low quality gifts which are enticing but not at a good investment, neither good for the planet. You might as well buy from a brand which cares about the planet and offers you unique and fun options. Being mindful doesn’t mean being beige and boring!
Useful links:
8. Give preloved gifts
Concept of thrifting is getting popular all around the world, it might be a good option for people who appreciate the concept and will be happy to receive some lovely preloved or vintage stuff.
Thrift brands:
9. Shopping bags
When going for Christmas shopping, better carry your own bag and refuse the plastic bags from stores. With the banning of plastic bags at the grocery stores in Dubai has already nudged people to carry reusable bags and it would be even better to carry your own shopping bags to the mall In this festive season.
10. Ditch buying the Wrapping papers
If you are a person who loves to wrap your gifts on your own, then this tip is for you. People buy a lot of wrapping papers for Christmas which are all glossy, shinny and festive however, they all end up in trash the very next day and cannot be recycled. There are a lot of DIY options to create some fun wrapping papers at home. You can even buy scarfs use them for wrapping which later can be used by the receiver. These options look personal yet pretty and festive.
Useful link:
11. Choose ”green” lights
Go with LED lights to decorate your home for Christmas. They may be a little more pricey but they last and can be reused. They also use less amount of power which is again planet friendly.
12. Instill the concept of mindfulness in kids
Christmas is a festival where we all go out of our way to make it joyous for our family and friends and most of the time we end up overspending and there is also a lot of food wastage. A majority of the land pollution is associated with the Christmas time. What can be the perfect time to teach the kids about mindfulness to kids than this Christmas! Take actions to make your Christmas more sustainable and let the kids understand the importance of our actions being related to the health of the planet.
If you found this article helpful, do checkout our website for some mindful gift hampers
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