Christmas 2024: Make it merry, make it circular!

In Delhi, the streets are dotted with red, yellow, and white chrysanthemums, marigolds, poinsettias, and crotons. The hospitality and tourism industry uses a variety of floral decorations, including Thuja shrubs and natural Christmas trees like spruce, pine or fir which are decorated with eco-friendly and recyclable décor. Red and orange gladioli, parrot beak flowers, red and maroon dahlias along with white rajanigandhas, red amaryllis, and salvia splendens are some of the most popular floral choices during Christmas.

Wild red berries, cranberries, and other fruits are often used during Christmas. (Photo: Swasti Pachauri)

Natural wreaths made of pine cones, berries, leaves, stalks, pampas grass; dining tables decorated with fruit salads in the shape of Christmas trees; the use of herbs and spices like star anise, cinnamon sticks and dried citrus slices to decorate Christmas trees – these are just some of the many ways to celebrate a ‘green Christmas’.

Similarly, utilising the rich potential of indigenous arts and crafts while creating Christmas décor is a good way to enhance local artisans’ livelihoods. For instance, jute, coir, coconut shells, cane, bamboo, pine cones, and palm leaves can be used to make Christmas trees or decorations. Woollen toys, textiles, terracotta bells and crafts, clay crafts, origami, and papier-mache can also be experimented with.

The use of LED lights and solar lanterns, for instance, also makes for an energy-efficient choice. Similarly, reusing plastic Christmas trees reduces the impact on ecology.

Many schools and educational institutions also have competitions around sustainable Christmas decorations. According to reports, a Municipal Corporation of Delhi primary school in Andrews Ganj engaged in sustainable Christmas decorations and celebrations in collaboration with civil society organisations.

A natural christmas tree decorated with woolen toys at Dastkar Winter Mela 2024. (Photo: Swasti Pachauri)

Civil society organisations and startups are venturing into initiatives that rest their philosophy on environmental consciousness and alternate means of generating income. Training programmes for urban self-help groups (SHGs) could be organised to make eco-friendly products around festivals for more such green income initiatives while minimising the impact on ecology. Such initiatives reinforce circular economy principles that aim to reduce, reuse, and recycle materials and products.

Increasingly around Christmas, farmers and gardeners nurture their plant nurseries with these varieties of flowers, trees, and shrubs. The Aluva State Seed Farm – declared India’s first carbon-neutral farm in 2022 – has green Christmas saplings ready for celebrations this year, according to reports. Along these lines, farmers in rural and urban areas could be encouraged to grow Christmas flowers, fruits, and trees, directly supplying these to the hospitality and tourism industry, commercial establishments, and others interested in celebrating a ‘circular Christmas’!