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It seems that every holiday from Christmas to Labor Day involves buying a bunch of plastic stuff that you don’t really need. But greening your holidays is easier than you think—and will probably save you money in the long run, too.
Margaret Cullember, operations manager of Greenstreet Growers in Lothian, suggests taking your summer planters well into winter by just changing out the plants. “Add cabbage kale, mums, fall grasses,” after yanking out summer’s flowers; these hardy plants will last until the weather gets really cold. “Then add twigs or magnolia leaves or greens that you found in your yard—or purchased—so you’re not throwing something away and bringing in something new.”
Halloween
Turn your pumpkin into a snack factory. When you scrape out the pumpkin goop, put it in a colander. Wash the seeds and get rid of the strings and flesh. Preheat the oven to 275 and spread the seeds out into a single layer on a cookie sheet. Baste with four tablespoons melted butter, ½ teaspoon garlic salt and 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (or just butter and salt.) Bake for 10-20 minutes, stirring every five minutes and keeping a close eye on them—they will burn!
Carving a pumpkin is about the most eco-friendly way to decorate for any holiday. Try to buy a local pumpkin (next year, try growing your own—pumpkins are very easy to grow and don’t take much room.) When you’re done with your pumpkin, either compost it or leave it out for squirrels to eat.
For a costume, skip the mass-produced plastic your kids will wear once. Be creative—use what you have around the house, or hit the local thrift store to find things to make your own one-of a kind costume. And don’t forget the beauty of cardboard—you’d be amazed what kind of costumes you can make out of a box (my standby costume? A Rubik’s Cube.) After the trick-or-treating is done, into the recycling it goes!
Thanksgiving
For earth-friendly art you can wear, try making a corn necklace. Buy colored dried corn at any farmstand (the kind that’s usually used to decorate a front door or a table.) Break the ears in half and twist all the kernels into a bowl. Cover with boiling water and let soak for one hour. String the kernels onto strong thread and allow to dry—you’ll never believe how good plain corn can look!
Top the table with eco-friendly beeswax, soy or palm-oil candles. Petroleum-based candles emit soot (and use a limited resource), while green candles burn clean. Use gourds to decorate; when the holiday has passed, either compost them or put them out for the squirrels to eat.
Christmas
It may not be possible to measure Santa’s carbon footprint (we couldn’t find an online reindeer-emission calculator), but there are ways to make your Christmas a little greener.
Think about making some all-natural decorations for both inside and outside of your home. Remember making popcorn garlands back in elementary school? All you need is some popcorn (the real stuff—not microwave—and made without butter or salt) and, if you like, some cranberries for color. Use a sturdy thread and a big needle and just start threading. Hang the garland outside for a tasty treat for birds.
Bringing in pinecones, holly branches and other local, festive plants is a great way to ring in the season. To avoid bringing in any critters that might be using your décor as a hideout, place your goodies on a cookie sheet and bake in a 200-degree oven for one to two hours. Check the oven every 15 minutes to avoid fire. Or use an green insecticide: Cullember suggests something from the Espoma line. “It’s not harmful to children or animals, should they see a need to chew on a stick.”
Use essential oils to bring in the scent of the holidays; mix cinnamon and clove oil and spritz (sparingly; the oils are strong) around the house.
Using a local Christmas tree farm means you support a local business and shrink your carbon footprint. Deliberately get a tree that is too big and use the extra to make garlands or wreaths—it will also probably be cheaper than paying for greenery separately (after all, greenery is just the trimmings of trees that were too big. Might as well cut out the middleman.) You can find a listing of local Christmas tree farms at pickyourownchristmastree.org
Switching to LED holiday lights means you’ll save energy (and money, in the long run.)
Buying a live tree means you can replant it once the holiday is over; however, if you don’t have the space, recycle your Christmas tree. Your county recycling service (see page TK for our guide) should be able to point you in the right direction.
“The whole key is thinking outside of the box,” says Cullember. “The more natural, the better. And you can make anything look holiday with a little spray paint and imagination.”
By Kristen Page-Kirby
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