Desiging new holiday traditions - think globally, act locally - gotta have fun too!

A few years ago I realized that my winter holiday traditions did not reflect much about my local environment or my values - after all, what was I doing putting up a fresh, high elevation, conifer in my home for the holidays when I have only lived in a desert or coastal chaparral ecosystem? (no pines or firs in either of those)... and then there are all of those songs about snow - snow? not me, not ever... well, maybe a few visits to snow country during my childhood, college and my Ecosa semester in Prescott - but really - not me. So I just stopped doing all of those European traditions - not too radical - huh?

Well, since then, each year, I try to pay attention to the elements of holiday celebrations I enjoy, because, I realized, once everything was gone, I missed the seasonal rituals and having some traditions in place. The first thing that I noticed was that I really liked the gatherings - seeing and spending time with friends and family. That's good stuff - right? Even though I no longer have the tree trimming party, I continue to gather with my family on Christmas Eve and some long time friends on Boxing Day. I would like to design a seasonal gathering that would be a fun and spiritual celebration of the winter solstice - a time when the light returns - and blend some of my family's and the current culture's traditions with a eco-minded twist into that celebration. I don't know - maybe something like a party where we light luminarias around my house, which would reflect my southwestern heritage and also the coming of the light through the solstice.

Considering that the phrase reduce, reuse, recycle is one of my current mantras, I am not so big on buying new things for the sake of just buying something for people during the holidays - however, I do like the idea of giving gifts as a sign of acknowledging loved ones. I have not quite figured this one out yet (sometimes it takes me a while - so if you did not get anything it doesn't mean that I don't care about you - it is just me trying to figure out my next step). Each year as my family gets used to the idea, I enjoy more and more the tradition that I started - to have a white elephant gift exchange with them. By doing this everyone can have fun and not worry about individual gifts.

Giving to charities through gifts dedicated to friends and family is something else that I like doing. Best Friends Animal Sanctuary was the first non-profit that I used in that way. After Hurricane Katrina a friend told me about the good work that they were doing to rescue the abandoned animals (so sad). With a donation to them as a gift to others, a wonderful, colorful, fun magazine full of animal pictures and stories is sent out to the people receiving the gift thus educating people about the need... a nice way to make the donation more personal - I think. This year I received a gift of a donation made to Trees for the Rim project (where 100% of the money goes towards the restoring the landscaping damaged by the Arizona Rodeo-Chediski Fire) in my name - another way to keep it local.