Honest answers please!?

Question

Do we really need to have all of this waste at christmas.
Tons and tons of wrapping paper which is placed on a present for the sole purpose of being ripped off the next day.
Christmas cards, Tons and tons of cards being sent to each other just to say merry christmas and not to mention the fuel being burned by the automobiles delivering these cards.
Excesses of food being bought which is never likely to be consumed and ends up at the back of the cupboards or in the bin.

This year £1000 on presents next year £2000 and so on, the hours we work to earn that money do not equate to the pleasure derived from the spending of it,

The true meaning of christmas has long gone, now i is just a commercial venture to claw back as much of your earnings as possible

I am not suggesting for one moment that christmas should be banned, but surely it is in all of our interests, both ecologically and financially to tone it down a bit?

Here's some interesting facts

http://www.recyclingconsortium.org.uk/schools/christmas_waste.htm

Answer 1

It is absolutely disgraceful. We have 3 kids and we now have about 4 wheelie bins worth of bags of rubbish that is almost entirely full of packaging. That's not all from us, that's from countless relatives and friends who all feel obliged to buy for everyone. The kids don't even know everything they have been given. This is why I can't enjoy Christmas.

A few years ago we thought we'd agreed with everyone not to buy anything for each other that year. We didn't buy for them, but they still bought for us. That made my wife feel awful (I could have lived with it) so we can't do that any more.

Answer 2

I agree with the amount of money that is spent - I spent far too much this year, but it won't go to waste!

On Christmas morning, we had one carrier bag of wrapping paper, and there was still space in it. Most of my presents packaging was plastic, and only a very small amount. I did get a box with my camera but I will be keeping it to store all the wires. My brother got a TV which did have a big box that needs binning, and my Mum got a kettle and that has a box (thin card so will pack down small). My brother also got a Wii, but like my camera box, it will be kept for storage.

At my Grandma's house (there were about 13 of us opening presents) there was tons of rubbish, but that wasn't helped by the fact that she uses 'expensive' wrapping paper - thick, foily stuff. The stuff we used was rather cheap (but nice) and thin - so it probably won't be difficult to turn to 'mush'. Also, we used 'expensive' sellotape, so although it's hard to decompose, we only needed to use a small amount for each present (whereas some people insist on sticking down every loose bit of paper!).

Sending Christmas cards - well I sent a few to people at Uni, and I was given a few, but I didn't post any. We did receive a few through the post, but not many at all. We'd probably expect to receive as many bills at a more 'normal' time of the year.

So, although some people seem to use an awful amount of wrapping paper, receive hundreds of cards (I think I got about 6 in total - unloved or what?!) and spend thousands of pounds, it's not the same for everyone. It's the only time of the year when me and my brother are really spoiled - we haven't been brought up in the way that some children have - e.g. my cousins - who get everything they want as soon as it's available (new mobile phones, iPods, games consoles...).

Answer 3

We stopped sending cards to each other at work 3 years ago for this very reason, giving instead a small donation so we as an office (of 60 odd people) can buy a gift from somewhere like Oxfam unwrapped. I will be taking my cards to I think its Sainsbury's who have a collection point for not just simple recycling but a specific project. I also only sent cards to family this year (and that was under duress!)

I usually wrap my gifts in brown parcel paper because it is recyclable but easily 'dressed up' (most wrapping papers believe it or not are not suitable for recycling)

Answer 4

Yup agree totally. That is why I did not send out any cards, but went and visited as many people as I could. That is why I made necklaces and grew plants to give away. That is why next year I am planning on cooking plates of biscuits to give away as well. Yes, things are not good in this household, but I have a great deal of fun at Christmas time and I have never had anyone disappointed with the presents I give them. Incidentally, I also get a lot of lovely hand made things in return and that makes me happy

Answer 5

It is a VERY expensive time of year and the meaning of Christmas went out the window a long time ago now its just a commercial bonanza to see how money you can spend and have a huge credit card bill at the end of it when the bills start rolling in. I agree with you we have lost the meaning of Christmas this is supposed to be a religious festival about the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Answer 6

If you look back over the years you are sure to find the same observations,I totally agree that the spirit of the Christmas That we, as children were lucky enough to celebrate in the true sense, has sadly long gone, In the vast number of homes,replaced as you rightfully say by commerce,
Gifts used to be -pure gifts- and not the ones offered now, +by value+.Escalating cost to families with children, Inflicts terrible pressures on some parents.
What will it be like in say, 5 years. You can make a certain bet that some parents are now in debt from the cost of Christmas. Tone it down? "I wish"

Answer 7

Quite right, mate!
If we must gift-wrap, let's at least use summat that we can recycle, paper not plastic at the very least.
How about making next years' cards, say, with scraps from this year's paper and cards?
I've tried saving wrapping from year to year, but you need a good sense of style to carry it off and look "ironic" instead of just "ironed".
And don't forget - the Woodland Trust collects old cards for recycling!
Happy New Year!

Answer 8

Yes thats true, but it is too commercialised now and It's become one big money fest. The packaging that goods come in for a start, my daughter had Bratz dolls and she could hardly get in them, it took about 15 minutes to get the thing out of the packaging. The manufacturers do nothing to help, there's too much plastic, and i thought they were supposed to be helping the planet with less packaging. It's not all the customers fault.

Answer 9

This, my inquisitive friend, is the capitalist system, the rat race, or what ever you want to call it. I find it absolutely amazing that, as individuals, we all recognise the problems but, as a society, we just carry on wasting and spending. I suspect it is that we are all bored out of our minds with life.

However, lets not forget, Christmas, as a feast, hijacked the pagan festival which was going way way way before Christ. Santa used to be dressed in green, Christmas trees were a tradition only in Norway (and were a pagan symbol of rebirth) and the family celebrations as we know them weren't even invented.

The commerciality of Christmas is just as packaged as the presents you are referring to. Sad ... isn't it.

xxFJ

Answer 10

I've never gone over the top for christmas, I don't spend what i haven't got in my purse and send only send 2 cards in the post to my aunt and my cousin, all the rest i deliver by hand. most of my wrapping paper is "last years", and I totally agree, its way too commercialised xx